After more than a decade of debate and lawsuits that tried to stop it, a 40.6-million-square-foot warehouse project is set to break ground this year in Moreno Valley.

First proposed in 2012 and approved by the Moreno Valley City Council in 2015, the World Logistics Center — which would be one of the world’s largest logistics centers — is scheduled to start construction at the end of 2023, said Eric Rose, spokesperson for the center’s developer, Highland Fairview.

In the years since city approval, the developer has dealt with lawsuits, which have now all been settled to pave the way for construction of the center. Planned for the area between Redlands Boulevard and Gilman Springs Road, south of the 60 Freeway, the warehouse project will cover 10% of the city’s land, roughly the size of 700 football fields.

The project has been controversial among residents and environmental and conservation groups, who alleged that the warehouse complex would bring traffic, air pollution and negatively affect local wildlife. Supporters said the center would bring much-needed jobs and stability to the city.