World-renowned architect Frank Gehry left New York on Thursday after meeting with the likes of rapper Jay-Z and Mayor Michael Bloomberg about a $400 million arena he is designing in Brooklyn.

Gehry's next stop: Lehi, a town not known for its towering skyscrapers and bustling lifestyle, but instead for its Roller Mills. Nonetheless, the northern Utah County city is where Gehry will design a massive commercial and residential project near the Point of the Mountain.

"I know this can't be a King Kong show-off thing," Gehry said. "But some of it will look strange to you. If it doesn't, I'm not doing my job."

Gehry is responsible for some of the most-notable postmodern structures in the world's biggest cities - from the titanium-covered Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, Spain, to the Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles.

Lehi's project - the price tag wasn't revealed - will include a five-star hotel, 12,000-seat arena, wake-boarding lake, upscale shopping center, restaurants, offices and housing, said Brandt Andersen, CEO and owner of G Code Ventures.

Andersen also is the force behind bringing Developmental League NBA basketball to the state, starting in November 2007.

"This is a unique site," Andersen said of the 80 acres just east of Interstate 15 and north of State Route 92. "It will be a uniting force between Salt Lake County and Utah County."

Said Gehry: "This site is very beautiful, like a blank canvas."

Though he would not discuss any design details, Gehry vowed to work with the community to develop a project with a "modesty" that respects local values.

Gehry's past works have endured criticism from the communities where they were built. When he created the Guggenheim, he recalled, a candlelight vigil of 300 locals organized a procession against him.

"But now I could live for free in Bilbao," he joked.

Andersen said he recruited Gehry because he wanted the development to become an icon for the state.

"The work he's created will stand for centuries to come," Andersen said.

Gehry said he and his team of about 160 workers will show models of the project as it progresses. He said he often develops between 40 and 50 as the community offers its input.

He added that budget controls will prevent the project from becoming a "runaway train."

Neither Gehry nor Andersen could say how many housing units would be built and what they would cost. They said they would take into account the area's market.

When asked if the area would compete with two new hotels and a convention center planned for Pleasant Grove, Andersen said, "It's hard to compare a Frank Gehry building to an Embassy Suites."

Lehi City Administrator Jamie Davidson said it is unclear how long it would take for the project to gain the necessary approvals, including rezoning. But he said he is excited and expects residents to have varied reactions.

"Some will be concerned that this will not be native to the state," Davidson said. "But this is an exciting time for our city. He has a worldwide reputation for building unique gathering places."

sgehrke@sltrib.com