SAN DIEGO -- A groundbreaking ceremony was held Monday to mark the start of construction of new dormitories at UC San Diego, much to the chagrin of those who use the Torrey Pines Gliderport.

Glider pilots say that if the university persists in building its 14- story, $122 million housing project, the bluff top at Torrey Pines will be all but useless because the gliders will be unable to land, The San Diego Union-Tribune reported.

"It's truly a national treasure and it's being stolen from us," Bruce Coons of Save Our Heritage Organization told the newspaper.

The gliderport is famous around the world -- one of two flight parks in the country listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the Union-Tribune reported.

University officials say the pilots' concerns are misplaced. They insist that gliders won't be affected by the project, which includes 10 buildings and about 1,200 apartments for the growing number of transfer students.

Moving the building isn't practical because of the project's construction schedule, said Milton Phegley, UCSD's director of community planning. The 350,000-square foot complex is scheduled to be finished in time for 2009 school year, the Union-Tribune reported.