City workers Wednesday removed graffiti from a large former youth detention facility that spans an entire block in Hunts Point.

Residents watched from across the street as the crews scrubbed years' worth of graffiti from the exterior walls. Many of them had recently complained about a rash of vandals breaking into the complex.

State Sen. Jeffrey Klein says the cleanup stemmed from a joint effort between his office, the office of Councilman Rafael Salamanca and Community Board 2 in response to neighbors' concerns.

The former detention center once housed 300 youthful offenders but closed in 2011, facing concerns about poor living conditions.

The city Economic Development Corporation is planning to transform the facility into a 5-acre affordable housing campus.