TROY, Ala. (TROJANVISION) — The city of Troy received a million-dollar grant for the Knox Street Park renovation project.

The grant was awarded to the city in October by the Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs, or ADECA.  According to Troy Mayor Jason Reeves, the renovation comes amid the need for more child-friendly areas on the north side of town.

“It needs to be revitalized, and there are a lot of young people who live on Knox Street, and in that general area of the community who should have somewhere to play that’s accessible by walking,” Reeves said.

Knox Street Park currently is an open field on North Knox Street with a maintenance building located near the edge of the park. Reeves said the renovations reminded him of a scene he saw years ago.

“I remember years ago walking through the area and seeing some kids using a ball to hit the curb because they did not have basketball goals,” Reeves said. “We’re going to completely review that with an LWCF [Land and Water Conservation Fund] grant so that area will always be recreational property and we’ll use the housing authorities’ money and some match money by the city to completely open that up.”

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The renovations are set to include a multi-purpose athletic field, a basketball court, a paved walking trail, a splash pad, a playground, a pavilion with restrooms, parking, new fencing, an irrigation system, picnic tables, benches, a flagpole, trash cans and new signage.

The city has also announced plans to contribute more than 1.5 million dollars in matching funds toward the renovation project. This latest batch of renovations comes less than a year after the city renovated the ball parks at the Troy Sportsplex

“We think an important part of quality of life is outdoor recreation,” Reeves said. “We think the more time that people of all ages spend outdoors and being able to move around is a positive thing for their physical and mental health and also to have a good time.”

Construction is set to begin at Knox Street Parks at the start of 2027. Once construction begins, Mayor Reeves said the city hopes to complete all renovations within a year.