New York, NY —

New York Yankees officials and a dozens of politicians today broke ground for a new Billion dollar stadium across the street from The House That Ruth Built.

Governor Pataki, Mayor Bloomberg and Yankees owner George Steinbrenner were on hand - while celbrity fans watched the ceremony from a small grandstand.

The groundbreaking came a day after a state Supreme Court judge denied opponents a temporary restraining order that would have blocked construction. He found there was no legal reason to stop cutting down trees on the construction site.

The 53-thousand-seat ballpark will replace a stadium that has been home to the Yankees since 1923.

The city and state are contributing more than $200 million dollars to the project, including infrastructure improvements. The Yankees will pay the rest, financed through both taxable and tax-exempt bonds.