L A Project

An undersea pipeline carrying water from Alaska to California is unnecessary and unfeasible and would probably run into vigorous opposition from environmentalists, a preliminary investigation by a congressional agency has found.

Deborah Racine has lived in downtown Los Angeles for five years, and she calls it home. Nearly every morning, about 9 a.m., she leaves her residential tower near Grand Avenue and 2nd Street for a stroll into the city -- past parking lots, hotels and office buildings, past the public library, past Grand Central Market.

The California Supreme Court on Wednesday denied a request by Playa Vista to review an appellate court ruling that halted work on the development's final phase. The 2nd District Court of Appeal had found that the project's environmental impact report was flawed. Playa Vista said in a statement that it had expected the result because the state's high court accepts only a tiny percentage of cases for review.

The city controller charged Wednesday that Los Angeles redevelopment officials underreported the subsidy provided to the developer of the Metropolitan Lofts project by $2.5 million and gave inaccurate information about the amount to the City Council. City Controller Laura Chick also gave the civil grand jury documents collected from two audits on Community Redevelopment Agency loans and subsidies that were risky or in default.

State securities regulators are investigating the operations of Interlink Data Network of Los Angeles Inc., an Orange County company that is raising millions of dollars to build a video telephone network in downtown Los Angeles. William McDonald, chief of enforcement for the state Department of Corporations, which regulates securities law, said Thursday that his agency is "concerned about the matter and is looking into it. I think it is a very serious matter.

A major flap over the funding of a $45-million construction project at the Museum of Science and Industry was resolved for the time being Monday when state legislators voted to let the plan go forward by simply switching the source of much of the money.

The government board overseeing the $3-billion Grand Avenue project on Monday unexpectedly rejected the developer's request for an eight-month delay to begin construction on the development across from the Walt Disney Concert Hall. While both sides said they remain optimistic that the sprawling downtown Los Angeles development is on track, the vote is the strongest sign yet that government officials are growing concerned over repeated delays and hope to keep a tight rein on the developer they handpicked for the project almost four years ago. Instead of approving developer Related Cos.' requested delay until February, the joint powers authority approved a motion by Los Angeles County Chief Executive William T. Fujioka giving the developer until Aug. 15. That's a much shorter period than expected, though one that could be extended when the authority -- made up of city and county officials -- meets in July.

Federal officials, launching an aggressive effort to clean up publicly subsidized housing, Monday seized control of a run-down, 300-unit project in South-Central Los Angeles that authorities say has been plagued by drug trafficking, gang gatherings and dilapidated facilities.

Legislation approved in a post-midnight rush has positioned Anschutz Entertainment Group, a major political contributor and owner of Staples Center, to tap millions of dollars in state funds to spruce up the area near the downtown arena and the company's $2.5-billion L.A. Live development. The bill's approval early Wednesday, only a few hours before the Legislature adjourned for the year, angered several lawmakers and advocates of affordable housing, including some who called for Gov.