GLOSTER &045;&045; Children and grownups alike will soon be shooting hoops in style, thanks to an ongoing park renovation project in Gloster.

&uot;We’re about 70 percent finished with the construction, and then there’s some landscaping we’ll want to do,&uot; Gloster Mayor Bill Adams said Thursday.

The town used a $15,500 grant from the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks to start the project over a year ago.

Adams said the work should be finished in about one month.

&uot;We had some other things, like sewer and housing projects going on, and the park kind of got pushed back,&uot; he said.

The grant helped pay for a new regulation-size basketball court, a retaining wall to control erosion on a nearby hillside, a water fountain and concrete picnic tables and benches.

Adams said the town supplied in-kind labor to help meet a $15,000 match required for the grant.

&uot;You’ve got your own people there, and you’re going to pay them anyhow, so you may as well use them,&uot; Adams added.

Center Court Tennis and Track Co. was hired to install the basketball court.

The company is a Baton Rouge construction firm specializing in athletic facilities.

Workers were on-site Thursday, preparing to apply a textured finish to the concrete slab.

&uot;Once they’re through driving in there, we’ll hang some new swings and install a slide for the kids,&uot; Adams said.

Located at the corner of Main and Claudia Streets, the park will be named for former Gloster alderman and volunteer fireman Elliot Davis.

Davis was killed Feb. 22 in a vehicle accident.

&uot;We’ll have a formal dedication service with a marker at a later date,&uot; he said.

Halogen lights will also be installed at the park to allow for night recreation, Adams said.