In February, the university began meeting with neighborhood groups and preservation advocates to discuss the project and present design sketches.

"More strength is always needed in preserving historic buildings," said Charla Bolton, the society's preservation advocate.

His granddaughter, Natalya Dushkina, is an architect and a vocal preservation advocate.

A spokesman for Elad said the company was working with preservation advocates and that every effort was being made to keep the interiors intact.

Old Pasadena faced destruction as plans for new high-rise developments were drawn up, though they were mostly stopped by increasingly active preservation advocates.

About the same time, preservation advocates received another break.

That, say preservation advocates, has contributed to an atmosphere of crisis.

In a related concern, preservation advocates cite a huge slowdown in the number of landmark designations that stretches back to at least the Koch administration.

But preservation advocates are counting the days until June 30, when Mayor Sharpe James leaves office.

Yet even preservation advocates expect the pattern book's design ideals to clash with the realities of rebuilding.