The reality is, the city cannot afford to pay for such work and there is a growing risk — a public safety risk — the building will continue to deteriorate and collapse, damaging nearby buildings or injuring someone.

As we have said before, there is a long list of those responsible for this building’s condition. There is a long list of those who throughout the years had the opportunity to protect a piece of our city’s history and failed to do so.

Now, today’s economic conditions make getting grants for refurbishing historic buildings — or even stabilizing them — a near impossibility.

And, there are a dwindling number of philanthropists who have the ability to simply give millions of dollars to do such work.

It appears now time has run out on the council and, it appears now, time has run out on the old YMCA building.

It may not be a popular decision — or a decision those on the council are comfortable with — but a decision must be made.