SAN DIEGO — The San Diego County Regional Airport Authority is challenging a church's plan to buy a 250,000-square-foot building at the former Naval Training Center for a home to its ministries.

According to The San Diego Union-Tribune, The Rock Church is buying the three-story building for an undisclosed amount from Corky McMillen Cos., the city's developer on a project to revitalize the vacant training center.

The city is redeveloping 361 acres at the training center, now called Liberty Station, creating a community that includes 349 houses, a 49-acre park, schools, office and retail buildings, and an arts and culture center.

The Rev. Miles McPherson said the building will bring the 4,000-member church's school, sanctuary and offices under one roof. Currently, the church conducts services at San Diego State University.

"From that site, we can reach out to the entire city and minister to people from all socioeconomic backgrounds," said McPherson.

The airport authority, which oversees Lindbergh Field, wants the city to deny the church an operating permit until an environmental study is done to analyze noise, health and safety issues, and other potential effects from aircraft.

The authority also wants the project to be reviewed by the Airport Land Use Commission, which is the authority's board of directors, to determine whether it is in line with Lindbergh's land-use plan for adjacent property.

"Failure to do so will likely expose the city to certain environmental and related lawsuits," wrote Breton K. Lobner, the authority's general counsel, in a letter to San Diego's city manager.

A hearing scheduled for Jan. 14 to consider the church's application was postponed so city and airport authority officials can discuss points raised by the authority.

The church signed a contract to buy the building and the sale is in escrow, the newspaper reported.

After extensive renovation, the church would have a 3,500-seat sanctuary, offices and a private school for more than 2,000 preschool through 12th grade students.

Among the environmental concerns, the authority said the building is in an area where aircraft noise is 70 decibels. Under government rules, noise in a school area should be less than 65 decibels. The authority also said students could be exposed to unspecified "potential toxic air contaminants."