WORCESTER, Mass. - Major changes are coming to University Park in Worcester thanks to a $1 million federal grant.

The funding comes from the National Park Service's Land and Water Conservation Fund. It will be used for park and playground improvements, including a new spray park installation.

The City of Worcester is matching the grant for a total of $2 million going towards the project. City leaders said this is an example of how they're working to improve every neighborhood and their green spaces.

Rep. Jim McGovern said the project is a result of a team effort stemming from Congress making the Land and Water Conservation Fund possible.

"From the federal government in Washington, to our state government, right down to city hall and here at University Park, this is a team effort," McGovern said. "We have been working on this project for years and years, and today is the result of decades of advocacy by thousands of people, believe it or not."

The city is planning for the project to be completed sometime in the summer of 2024.