The battle over the fate of the Plaza Hotel rages on, after the Landmarks Preservation Commission decided yesterday to postpone voting on three matters concerning the hotel’s future.

In addition to discussing whether to give landmark status to six of the Plaza’s historic rooms, including the Oak Room and Bar, Grand Ballroom, and Edwardian Room, the commission debated two requests by the hotel’s new owner, Elad Properties: one for approval of renovations to the hotel’s exterior, which has had a landmark designation since 1969, and one for support of a rezoning resolution, which would allow the owner to convert a portion of the hotel to retail space.

Several people who spoke at yesterday’s hearing, including the CEO and president of Elad, Miki Naftali, supported the motion for landmark status.

Assemblyman Richard Gottfried, a Democrat of Manhattan, said that while he wholeheartedly endorsed the designation, he wished more of the hotel’s interior space were under consideration for landmark status.

“The Plaza has numerous other architecturally significant spaces,” he said.

The chairman of the commission, Robert Tierney, said the six rooms are “expected to be landmarked very soon.”

During the discussion on the other two matters, Mr. Naftali and his consultants repeated their commitment to renovating and restoring in accordance with the Plaza’s original designs.

“The proposals you are hearing today are not meant to divest the Plaza from its heritage,” a preservation consultant, William Higgins, said. “All I see is continuity.”

Elad plans to turn large parts of the hotel’s subcellar and cellar, as well as smaller parts of the first floor and mezzanine, into retail space. Elad is also proposing extensive renovations to the exterior of the Plaza, including a complete restoration of the roof, modifications to the West 58th Street storefront openings, window enlargements, and an addition to the courtyard.

Along with creating additional retail space, Elad expects to convert much of the property into condominium units.

The historic hotel, opposite the southeastern corner of Central Park, is currently closed as the renovation gets under way.

Other supporters of Elad’s request for approval of the renovations and the rezoning at the hearing included representatives of the labor-led group Save the Plaza; NYC & Company, which is the city’s tourism marketing organization, and the civic group Association for a Better New York.

Those opposed to the measures included Assemblyman Gottfried and representatives of the New York Landmarks Conservancy, Community Board 5, and the businessman and philanthropist Ronald Lauder.

“What Elad is hiding from you is what they really need the 74-711 for, and that’s their underground mall,” a representative of Mr. Lauder said, referring to the rezoning measure.

One issue most of the speakers agreed on was the importance of establishing the six rooms as landmarks before proceeding with other plans.

After hearing testimony, the commission members discussed their concerns about the property-owner’s plans. They asked Elad officials to clarify parts of their plan, including how the public would gain access to the underground retail space, how enlargement of certain windows would alter the appearance of the rooms, and what changes to the roof would be visible from the street.

Several members said they wanted more ambitious plans for the Concord Room, including a restoration of the high dome in the ceiling.

Mr. Tierney asked Mr. Naftali and his associates to address those issues and announced that the commission would reconvene July 12 to reconsider the proposals.

The Plaza hotel closed May 1, and later in the month a tag sale of items from the hotel was held, drawing a frenzy of souvenir seekers wanting a piece of the property’s historic past.

As reported in the Sun last month, Saudi Prince Alwaleed bin Talal, a partner with Millennium & Copthorne Hotels in the sale of the Plaza hotel to Elad Properties last year, is interested in purchasing the 348-room hotel within the renovated facility in 2006.

The renovated hotel will have 188 rooms and 160 condominium hotel rooms.