Officials broke ground Tuesday on the massive waterfront project off Hempstead Harbor in Glen Cove.

The $1 billion Garvies Point Project will include 1,100 new housing units, restaurants, shops and an amphitheater.

Opponents of the project say the 11-story buildings will block their access and view of water and generate traffic gridlock. They also had concerns about how the project would affect the surrounding environment.

The land used as a landfill and industrial site was once a toxic mess. Developer RXR, along with federal, state and local municipalities, spent $121 million on removing contaminants that included volatile chemicals, lead and arsenic.

"We have gotten signoffs from the DEC, the EPA at the highest level," says developer Schott Rechler. "This will probably be the cleanest site in Glen Cove when all is said and done."

Rechler says the project will also include 28 acres of open park land, a new esplanade and a new marina.

The first housing units are expected to be completed in about two years.