A park in Passaic County will be getting a facelift after years of being in disrepair. Officials say the hope is to increase access and offer more recreation opportunities for the people in Paterson.

Westside Park has been plagued with broken benches, unplayable tennis courts and rundown fields. Paterson resident Feruz says he has been living in the city for more than 20 years. He says the park has seen better days.

“As you can see right now, it is very disgusting looking. It’s very dirty,” Feruz says.

Thanks to a nearly $5 million federal grant, the park will soon receive a major renovation. Those improvements will include new tennis and basketball courts, two new playing fields and a river walk.

The city's park is one of the 14 projects selected across the country to receive the National Park Service's Outdoor Recreation Legacy partnership program grant. The grant helps urban communities like Paterson, provide more access to recreation opportunities.

Paterson Mayor Andre Sayegh says that the project is years in the making.

“It’s one of our most popular parks in an area that is a working-class neighborhood. People just walk to the park but unfortunately, it’s unsightly right now and quite frankly it has been in neglect for far too long,” the mayor says.

Sayegh says more people will be able to take advantage of the park once all the repairs are made.

“We deserve better, specifically our children deserve better…that’s why we’re doubling down,” the mayor says. “We’re going to see to it that people don’t have to go outside of Patterson to have somewhere safe for their children to play.”

The project will cost $14 million to complete. The goal is to break ground in June and have the park complete by the summer of 2025.