A project will bring a new grocery store and hundreds of new neighbors to the growing H Street community in Northeast D.C.

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Developers are working to calm concerns over more construction in a neighborhood that's seen its fair share of it.

Officials broke ground on the 360 H project Tuesday. It will bring a Giant grocery store, more retail space, and some 200 apartments to this changing community.

“It's really nice that its not just restaurants and such, but also daytime retail and that will help all of our businesses to bring daytime traffic here,” said council member Tommy Wells.

It also means major construction on the block between 3rd and 4th Streets. Developers insist they are aware many here are suffering from a kind of construction burn-out.

“We also know of some of the hardships and sacrifices made by some of the merchants up and down h street. It's been a tough couple of years for those folks,” said Guy Steuart of the Steuart Investment company.

Officials say work on things like water mains and other utilities for the project is already done, which should limit the amount of construction done outside this one block.

“It's just a bump in the road. Business is off a little but most of our customers walk, so it's not been as bad as for the people who drive,” said Shaaren Pine of the Argonaut restaurant.

"For everything, there is a pain first. But after -- look at the street now. It looks beautiful after all these years,” Kemfe Bellay of Sidamo coffee and tea said.

The planned Giant will create close to 200 jobs, a Giant PR person said. The grocery store and the apartments are set to open in 2013, the same time the H Street trollies are set to start rolling.