Preservationists are understandly disturbed at the prospect of the Waldorf Hotels demolition. But sentiment about the building must be tempered with realism about the cost of restoration, the prospect of raising that amount of money and the financial return from the buildings eventual use.

There was an air of surprise evident among the Historic Landmarks Commission and its audience last Tuesday at the city of Astorias apparent plans to demolish the Waldorf and link it with the Astoria Public Library. That vision of a demolished Waldorf linking to the library was no secret. It has been part of informal discussions about the library and its prospective renovation.

The climactic moment for the Waldorf was not last Tuesday evening. It was in 2009 when the Clatsop County Housing Authority traded the building instead of building partnerships to create housing in the building. By doing that, the CCHA stiffed Astoria. It was the demoralizing Game Over moment for the building.

Making the decision to block demolition of a building and deciding to restore it are two distinct processes. Saying no to demolition takes an hour or two at most, and it costs nothing. Finding the financial resources to restore the building by selling a business plan to prospective philanthropic donors would take the better part of a decade.

If restored, the Waldorf presumably would become housing. The cost per square foot would undoubtedly be high. Thus rents would be high. Would that fly?

There are ways to preserve historic building facades while backing them with contemporary innards. That has been done effectively in Washington, D.C. That presumably is part of what the city of Astoria has in mind.

Good luck to those who want to restore the Waldorf.