Nearly 5 years after being hit by hurricane Sandy, an East Village affordable housing complex is getting a state-of-the-art overhaul.
Construction is kicking off at the Haven Plaza Resiliency Building on Avenue C and East 13th Street.
The building had sustained heavy flooding during the storm and lost electricity.
Officials say the rebuilt version will be located above expected flood levels, and will have its own self-sufficient heating and water utilities.
"The place was flooded, there was no electricity and no heat," said Daniel Allen with CTA Architects. "Residents were in the dark and cold. We don't want that to happen again."
"This is the only way we will guarantee that the residents will be protected because these are buildings that will be resilient and it will withstand the damage that could be caused by another Sandy," said Congresswoman Nydia Velazquez.
The new Haven Plaza building will also boast a green design with glass walls and a garden.
Officials say federal funding from the Sandy relief package helped pay for the project.