Bridgeport will finally see the start of construction on the planned three million-square-foot, mixed-use Steel Point waterfront development project.

Mayor Bill Finch will join principals in Bridgeport Landing Development this morning to break ground on roadway construction and upgrades to the site, located near the opening of the Pequonnock River.

The city recently received an $11 million Transportation Investment Generation Economic Recovery (TIGER II) grant for the project, the largest grant ever awarded to the city, to create pedestrian- and bike-friendly streets connecting neighborhoods to public transit, helping to open the Steel Point waterfront to the public and support commercial and residential development.

The infrastructure work is the first step toward unlocking the peninsula to the public. The project’s redevelopment is slated to include residential units, a hotel, retail shops and offices for a total of nearly 3 million square feet of commercial space.

The Steel Point peninsula comprises approximately 50.6 acres in the southeastern section of Bridgeport, adjacent to the downtown business district. The peninsula is a mostly vacant brownfields site, and one of the few existing large-scale waterfront areas open to redevelopment in the coastal region between New York City and Providence, R.I.