Guggenheim architect Gehry to transform concrete-lined Los Angeles River ... but not everyone is happy

Internationally renowned architect Frank Gehry is working on a master plan to redevelop the Los Angeles River.

The designer of the steel-clad Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles and the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, Spain, has been working since last year on the long-running restoration project, the Los Angeles Times reported.

Gehry’s involvement marks a potential turning point in a decades-long struggle to reinvent the river and its concrete-lined banks. But his plan is getting a cold reception from some of the activists who helped draw attention to the cause.

 A plan adopted in 2007 would restore large parts of the 82-kilometer concrete-lined storm channel to its natural condition while linking it to parks, bike paths and other public areas as it winds from the San Fernando Valley to Long Beach.

Gehry’s work will be on design elements that were left vague in the restoration plan, said Barbara Romero, deputy mayor for city services.

However, many details aren’t being released.

That irked one activist group, Friends of the Los Angeles River, which said it can’t endorse Gehry and wants a more grass-roots approach to planning.