NEW YORK CITY—The sprawling 11,231-unit Peter CooperVillage/Stuyvesant Town apartment complex, a poster childin the downturn for large-scale commercial property bets thatbackfired, appears to be headed for the auction block once again.Published reports say that CWCapital AssetManagement, which took control of Stuy-Town in 2010 afterthe property's ownership defaulted on a $3-billion mortgage, ispreparing to foreclose on $1.4 billion in mezzanine debt, thustaking full ownership of the complex and putting CWCAM in aposition to sell it. GlobeSt.com's calls to a CWCAM spokesman werenot returned by deadline.

Even before a foreclosure action--normally a 30-day process--isa done deal, though, the complex appears to be drawing interestedparties. Citing the opinions of analysts at Barclays, Real CapitalAnalytics and Trepp, the New York Times said Wednesdaymorning that the complex was likely to fetch more than $4 billionin a sale; it had traded for $5.4 billion in 2006 to a partnershipled by Tishman Speyer Properties andBlackRock Real Estate.

Bloomberg reported late Tuesday afternoon that FortressInvestment Group, which owns CWCAM, is seeking financingfor a $4.7-billion bid on the 80-acre, 110-building rental complex.A Fortress spokesman tells GlobeSt.com the firm declines to commenton the report.