The Near Southeast Groundbreaking Tour made its stop at the old Southeast Federal Center this morning, as city, federal, and corporate representatives took time out to officially mark the beginning of work at The Yards. There were speeches, there were shovels, and dirt was turned, all with the dull roar of heavy construction equipment in the background. I took some photos of the festivities and added them to the bottom of my main Yards page--and don't forget to look at the First Phase tab to get a feel for what's coming between now and 2010 (two residential buildings, one office building, a retail building, a pavilion, and a 5.5-acre park). There was a fair amount of media, so I expect to update with some story links later in the day. And since the mayor was there, the ceremony should eventually be on DC Cable 16.