The evangelical church suing the University of Maine System over an attempt to purchase the Hutchinson Center in Belfast also has filed a protest with the system, temporarily pausing the property’s sale.

The university system received the written protest Wednesday morning, following its announcement that the church lost its second-round bid on the property, spokesperson Samantha Warren said in a statement.

“Consistent with our long-standing practice, the award is stayed until this protest is resolved,” Warren said in the statement.

Calvary Chapel Belfast, which received the original offer to negotiate sale terms for the center in August, alleged religious discrimination in a lawsuit against the university system and several officials filed this week.

There were no updates in either the lawsuit or the internal appeal as of Thursday afternoon, Warren said. She said it was early to say how long the new protest will take to resolve, but the system aims handle it “in a thoughtful and timely manner.”

The university system announced its plans to offer the building to Waldo Community Action Partners last week. The nonprofit group offered more than $3 million for the property, which was appraised at around $2.5 million.

Donna Kelley, president of Waldo Community Action, said her group was reviewing the lawsuit and waiting to see the outcome of the latest appeal in a statement Wednesday night.

“We are aware the Calvary Chapel has availed themselves of the RFP appeal process as we did in the first round,” Kelley said. “Until that is addressed, we are unclear of the outcome of the RFP.”

Staff Writer Riley Board contributed reporting.