[deja vu]

That article is a good recounting of the council session. I usually lean towards preservation myself - money is a real concern but should never be the primary driver for a decision on whether a building lives or dies - there are just so many ways to fund projects, to phase the work, garner support, etc. "We can't afford it" usually sounds like a excuse to me. That said, it sounds like it was a civil and educated discussion, which is good. Those who spoke for not landmarking it probably just had a clearer / stronger voice in the room, which might be what ultimately swayed the vote.

BTW, I agree that $700 - $800K for stucco restoration on a 4-story building in the finger lakes does sound high. For that price, it must be for restoring all elevations, not just the street side, and might also have included some restoration work that went deeper than just the stucco skin (vapor barriers, insulation, flashing, etc).