Nevada Rep. Dina Titus announced a nearly $5 million Veterans Affairs grant Wednesday for improvements to the state-run Southern Nevada Veterans Memorial Cemetery in Boulder City.

“While this a great first step, we must also keep working toward having a national cemetery in Las Vegas,” said Titus, a Democrat and ranking member of the House Veterans Affairs Subcommittee on Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs.

The $4.97 million grant will fund the raising, realignment and cleaning of 14,864 grave markers. It also will refurbish 11.7 acres of land at the cemetery to serve more than 284,000 veterans and their families.

“These federal funds will play a much-needed role in accommodating the needs of Las Vegas’ veteran population,” Titus also said in the released statement.