The University of Maine System plans to follow through with the sale of a Belfast building to a local nonprofit despite an appeal and a lawsuit by an evangelical church.

Waldo Community Action Partners was chosen as the buyer for the Hutchinson Center in a second round of bidding last month. The system chose Calvary Baptist Church during the first round of bidding, but rescinded the offer because it said the evaluation process failed to account for costs associated with a network hub that would need to stay in the building.

The church filed a lawsuit against the UMaine System on Nov. 19, alleging religious discrimination in the process. The next day, the church filed a written protest with UMS, temporarily halting the sale. Officials said the award of the building would be paused while it conducted a review of the offers.

In the statement Monday, the system affirmed its commitment to selecting Waldo Community Action Partners, which it said submitted the highest-scoring proposal for the property.

The group offered more than $3 million in the second round of bids. The property is valued at $2.5 million. Calvary Chapel bid $1.1 million, and a third bidder offered $1.8 million. Waldo Community Action Partners also agreed to lease back the network hub space for free.

In its decision letter sent to (Calvary Chapel) on Monday, the System noted the established protest process “is specific to the terms, conditions, and evaluation of the proposals submitted under this solicitation” and that the (request for proposals) “adhered to all applicable policies and procedures, ensuring a fair and transparent process for all respondents,” the statement said.

Calvary Chapel now has 10 days to file a second appeal, which will be reviewed by Ryan Low, the vice chancellor for Finance and Administration. His decision would be final.

The lawsuit is ongoing. The university system has yet to file a formal response, but shortly after the church filed the complaint, a spokesperson said the system strongly disagreed with any allegations of discrimination.