CEDAR RAPIDS - As downtown businesses begin the slow process of picking up the pieces, many are finding the damage is significant.

Despite the grim sight, many business owners say they plan on coming back. But the cleanup process will be long. It could be months before many are up and running. And some places are irreplaceable.

The day the Cedar River rose into downtown, water lapped at the Paramount Theater's marquee. What it left behind will forever change one of this city's oldest landmarks.

"The music will go on. The musicians will come together and Beethoven's 9 will sound the same where ever we play it," said Robert Massey, Cedar Rapids Symphony.

Robert Massey just moved to town to take over as the symphony's executive director two weeks ago. He says, the Paramount made an impression on him from that first day, but this memory will never leave his mind.

"From stage level, the stage is very buckled. The orchestra pit is completely filled with water. The organ's obviously been tossed around and is laying on its back on the stage," said Massey.

The river took its toll on the city's cultural centers, the Public Library had water four shelves high. But the staff says most of the 300,000 books here are safe.

"I think our staff's efforts sandbagging may have kept water from getting in as it might have. Most of our books look to be pretty safe," said Tamara Glise, Interim Library Director.

They can replace or restore the ruined books. But, that's not the case, with nearly every downtown business.

Shops like the Coffee Emporium feel the hurt two-fold. Not only will owners have to rebuild, their downtown customers could be gone for months.

"It love downtown. This breaks my heart. We were just getting things together down here, but we're coming back," said Robin Morris, Coffee Emporium.

So, that is the common theme in downtown, rebuild and return. In the case of the library, they are operating out of their other sites in the metro area for now. And the symphony will find a temporary performance venue, until officials can determine how to proceed with the Paramount.