The dribble of a basketball could be heard at Thornton Park Thursday afternoon.

Twenty-three-year-olds Troy Barron, Caleb Smith and Joe Brewer were playing a casual game of basketball on the park’s well-worn court.

They said they play there often and while the basketball court is certainly playable they agreed they’d like to see a little extra work on it.

“Repainting the lines would be cool,” Smith said. “It’s not that it’s not smooth or anything, it’s just old.”

Barron said they’re often the only ones using the court, but he said some sprucing up could attract others as well as some more incentives for kids.

“It’s a pretty park. It’s tucked away,” Barron said.

Their request could be granted with an Open Space Lands Development grant from the Illinois Department of Natural Resources to redevelop the park along with a new splash pad, swings, play equipment and remodeling of the park’s tennis and pickleball courts.

The grant would be for $600,000 with half of that being backed by the city of Ottawa.

Michelle Kelly, principal landscape architect of Upland Design, showed off a preliminary plan for the park at a meeting Thursday night after taking in 35 surveys from a public meeting at the park last week.

Top requests were included in the plan including a new splash pad to be placed north of the park’s shelter, which is also tabbed for some remodeling.

Two tennis and two pickleball courts will also be remodeled but some in attendance think an additional pickleball court may get more attention due to tennis courts elsewhere in Ottawa.

Joe Terrones attended Thursday's meeting with other pickleball players who said with six tennis courts at Ottawa High School and three at Lincoln Douglas Park, an additional pickleball court may get more use.

A cornhole play area is planned for south of the shelter and a new playground northeast of the shelter. The playground is expected to have equipment for a variety of ages as well as a much-requested swing set.

Much of the additions are planned for the core play area and the open field to the south filled with trees will remain untouched.

Liz Ibraimovska, 26, and her border collie-labrador Tucker live in the area and were playing catch in that open field earlier as they do twice a day.

She suggested to The Times that the area may make for a good dog park, but Kelly told The Times only one of the surveys requested a dog park.

Ibraimovska also suggested a splash pad may discourage dog owners from attending, as it may attract the interest of the dogs.

Those in attendance responded positively to the plan and Kelly said she liked the history of the park and hoped the new additions attract new interest.

The project plan will be voted on by the City Council during their 7 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 6, meeting at City Hall, 301 W. Madison St.

To make further suggestions, contact Community Development Specialist Tami Koppen at 815-433-0161 ext. 240 or email them to tkoppen@cityofottawa.org.