You can put plenty of effort into saving the bricks and mortar, but it's not the solid that's important here so much as the void that the buildings give shape to. The courtyard space is what's special on this block and truly "Yorkville". Really sad to see the most important part of York Square disappearing.
It's not enough to just save the facades, because those are really the least important part. A public space is an experience, whereas the bricks and mortar are just materials. Without the public space within, the buildings are no longer anything more than the sum of their parts.
As much as I am pro-density and often pro-highrise, I do feel that Yorkville's character is under attack. The characteristics that made it special in the first place and have continued to give it any of the charm it has left, are being eroded quickly.
Also, the design of this project is unfocused. It's so incohesive; the revisions are going to have to be pretty deep-cutting to make a positive difference.