"hordes of tourists, automobiles, fast-food franchises and souvenir shops," as well as cause a negative environmental impact. One neighborhood group filed a lawsuit in federal court demanding that the General Services Administration study, which found that the great number of visitors would have "no adverse effect on the area," be reexamined. Stephen E. Smith, a Kennedy in-law who heads the John F. Kennedy Library Corporation decided that "we want the Kennedy Library to be a happy place. It would not be in keeping with the nature of this memorial for it to open in an atmosphere of discord and controversy." And in February 1975 the plans for having the library where President Kennedy would have wanted it, were dropped. New location, new plan The new location of the site was Columbia Point in the Dorchester neighborhood of Boston, near the University of Massachusetts Boston, described as a group of "massive, blocky structures...in sharp contrast to the mellow and urbane atmosphere of the library's original site near Harvard Square." The site was originally a garbage dump; Pei recalls finding old refrigerators and appliances under the soil. In all seriousness, he asserted that one could toss a lit match on the earth and watch the ground ignite as the soil emitted methane gas. One thing the site did have going for it was that the community was not opposed to the area being landscaped to house the library. June 12, 1977, marked the official groundbreaking for the library with construction following in August. Although the site was a landfill it did overlook Boston, Dorchester Bay and the ocean. The area was covered in of earth and topsoil. Pei was particularly proud of the landscaping results. The design would be a simple geometric structure with a large glass pavilion. The concrete tower stands tall and houses offices and archives. A circular section contains two theaters and is connected to the tower by the grey-glass pavilion. The concrete finish of the building directly reflects the budget. With more money Pei would have made the building with stone which he believes offers a nicer finish with more detail. The materials chosen kept the costs within budget, in total costing $20.8 million. Over 30 million people contributed to the cost of construction, which more than 225 construction workers labored to complete before the end of 1979. Dedication The official dedication was held on October 20, 1979.