After years of battling with residents over the proposed expansion of the current Valley Hospital in Ridgewood, the New Valley Hospital broke ground this month at its Paramus site.

A parade of politicians, shovels in hand, spoke at the ceremony, touting the future of the area’s healthcare system with the coming state-of-the-art, 372-bed facility. Construction on the 910,000-square-foot facility is expected to take more than three years. It will be a green building, that ranges from three to seven stories and rooftop gardens.

Along with the hospital building, there will be a five-story parking garage with more than 430 spaces. Twenty percent of the 28-acre site will be dedicated to open, green space.

The project is expected to create 600 construction jobs and cost $800 million.

Across the street from Valley’s cancer and same-day surgery center, the New Valley Hospital is scheduled to open in 2023. Once it does, the current hospital will provide outpatient services, including operating an urgent care center. The North Van Dien Avenue location could become the site of affordable housing in the future.