If Andersen had his way, the flowers would have been real, the room would have been different, and the black envelopes containing his Gehry-designed information manuals would have been more tasteful. All of those details are reflective of Andersen's individual style and his desire to always meet perfection.

"I don't think Frank would would work with me if I didn't do (things differently)," Andersen said. "It's a blessing and a curse, because I want things to be done perfectly, and when it's not done perfectly, it's a difficult time."

Andersen's different style — and the fact that his multi-billion-dollar project is being designed by a world-famous architect — is something that Andersen says sets him apart from regular developers who don't serve fried shrimp, chocolate mousse and skewered chicken at their work sessions.

"The person that would do the standard City Council meeting would not be bringing in Frank Gehry because it's too much of a risk," Andersen said. "I'm millions of dollars into this and I don't have a single approval yet. I just think this thing can be better than what's been done before."

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E-mail: achoate@desnews.com