Los Angeles commuters can now see the

Los Angeles commuters can now see the first 750 apartment rise in the controversial Playa Vista project, but recent headlines have focused on developer Rob Maguire’s announcement that he has commissioned architect Frank Gehry to design at least four office buildings in the project. Maguire was the principal developer of Playa Vista until 1997, when he declared bankruptcy, and a partnership of Goldman Sachs & Co. and Morgan Stanley Dean Witter purchased the project. He plans to buy back 60 acres for about $90 million, the Los Angles Times reports. Meanwhile, local activists continue the fight to halt the project and preserve the 1,087-acre site as wetlands and parks. In August, the developers reached an agreement with the nonprofit Trust for Public Land, giving the group a one-year option to purchase 193 acres of environmentally sensitive land. This would block the building of 4,400 homes and 220,000 square feet of commercial space. According to developers, the 193 acres are worth $200 million.