After lengthy debate at City Hall Tuesday over the future of McDougall United Church, councilors decided to help the congregation find investors to repair the aging building, but stopped short of stepping in to pay for repairs.

The Executive Committee received a report on the downtown church Tuesday – which found the exterior of the building, which has stood for more than a century, was in serious disrepair and needed extensive renovations, in addition to concerns about asbestos and fire code violations.

Its estimated repairs to the building will cost between $18 million and $25 million – higher than the $8 million to $12 million repairs were initially expected to cost.

At this point, the church will either need to be repaired, or be torn down.

“It’s a historical building and we want to save it,” congregation treasurer Greg Greenough said.

“It’s a City concern in my estimation.”

Members of the congregation approached the City, in an effort to have taxpayers fund repairs.

Councillors agreed the building is worth saving, but stopped short of committing the money needed to repair it.

“I’m disappointed that we’re still going in circles with this congregation,” Mayor Don Iveson said.

The City has stepped in in the past, in 2011, $100,000 in taxpayer dollars went to pay for roof repairs.

Iveson said for years, members have been encouraged to have the site deemed a historic building – a designation that would allow grants to pay for repairs.

Many members have said they aren’t willing to do that, because they would lose control over it.

“It’s not about preserving our congregation,” Greenough said. “It is complex, but we would like to know that the building will be maintained and retained, and the funds are committed in the long term.”

After the debate, the City agreed to help the congregation seek investors – if that doesn’t happen, or if members don’t seek historical designation for the church by later in 2015, the building could be doomed.

It’s estimated the land the McDougall United Church stands on is worth $7 million.

With files from Ashley Molnar