SAN DIEGO -- The five-story apartment complex project destroyed in a fire in University City will be rebuilt, but the process could take a year, according to the developer.

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The Aug. 1 blaze sent flames 200 feet into the air and melted window shades in neighboring complexes.

Insurance will cover the $50 million loss, but rebuilding could take a year, Stuart Posnock, a co-owner of Garden Communities, told The San Diego Union-Tribune.

"The first step is to clear it, then we have to submit new plans to the city because the (concrete) parking structure was damaged," Posnock told the newspaper.

A number of workers, including heavy equipment operators, returned to the site earlier this week. Other employees could be out of work for a while, Posnock said.

The developer said he had not received any threats before the fire. He also offered no explanation for why there were no security guards the night of the blaze. Guards have since been hired.

Authorities blame arson but have not said how the fire was ignited. A banner linking the incident to the "Earth Liberation Front" was left at the site.

The banner read, "If You Build It, We Will Burn It."