Dear City Commissioners and City Manager,

This plan of Shain Park is merely a reminder to the City Commissioners, the City Manager as well as the citizens of Birmingham, that we had the foresight to hire the genius of Andres Duany to direct Birmingham towards 2016.

Shain Park is an unpolished jewel that he immediately recognized and asked us to envision its potential. Although he disagrees with two functions of the park, namely the underground parking and the children's play area, and the City questions his solution to on street parking, this plan looks creatively to resolve these issues without distancing itself from his original thoughts.

Shain Park and Kellogg Park in Plymouth are the only true town squares in the Detroit Metro Region. Shain Park deserves our utmost attention as we inch towards 2016.

This study is a gift form a Birmingham resident and business owner, for City Commissioners, the City Manager and Birmingham citizens alike to use as a guider for further exploration as they see fit.

Anonymously Yours.

Shain Park Legend

(1) Children's Play Corner
A much revered location for children is now 8 feet below grade to not only conceal play equipment which was a Duany concern, but to create a safe house for kids at play. Wood Chips are a soft play pad and walls add to the potential of exciting play experiences. Kids slide down, parents and strollers, as well as the handicapped ramp down, and stairs are quick vertical transport. The circulation of children entering and leaving the play area is designed for parents to always intercept them.

(2) Civic Corner
Civil War and World War II monuments are relocated here and unfortunately any future was memorials. Mr. Shain is here also… a bronze bust on a stone plinth.

(3) Library Corner
An artfully inspired stone bench helps create a great outdoor reading room. 2 bronze busts of famous literaries mark this area.

(4) Water Feature
A simple shallow pool with one big squirt of water begs the passers-by to remove their shoes and cool their feet on a hot summer day. Winter sees this simple squirt morph in to a frozen sculpture (remember this simple approach in Palmer Woods along Woodward Avenue) and/or possibly kept heated to create a gorgeous steam element.

(5) Parent Play Area
A handsome kiosk is located here and is leased to a local merchant (i.e. pizza, coney…). Parents relax at tables and chairs, sip beverages or walk out on the perch overlooking the play area while keeping a watchful eye on their children. Duany believes this set up is very important to the verve of Children's Play. Santa could sit her on the perch while the kiosk vendor serves up hot chocolate and roasted goodies.

(6) Merrill Roundabout
The Freedom of the Human Spirit is relocated here to the most prominent locale in the park. Bollard protects the sculpture and house lighting to properly illuminate it. Merrill is paved with aggregate to match the park as well as the City standard. Merrill is 15 miles per hour here and has the ability to be closed down for special events.

(7) Music Pavilion
Forms "an architectural triumvirate with the City Hall and library" as Duany so eloquently put it. Santa could also sit here in a red and gold heated tent. Could include restrooms. The 2 parking spaces on Townsend are used for loading and unloading as required.

(8) Major Monuments
2 of the 4 cornerstones of the Merrill roundabout are again architecturally responsive to City Hall, library and the new Music Pavilion. One houses an elevator and one houses a stone bench (or both can house elevators). Stone ums planted with flowers flank the uncovered stairs down to the parking below. Well Lit and heated, these stairs are lovely and important, and most of all easily identified.

(9) Mini Monuments
2 of the 4 cornerstones that mark the Merrill roundabout are part of the architectural definition of the park and respond to City Hall, library and new Music Pavilion. These shelter 2 bronze drinking fountains.

(10) Auto Park Entry
Parking entry is kept here to allow for full time use. 1 lane in, 1 lane out. It also provides a big light well for the auto park as well as a handsome point of arrival and departure.

(11) Auto Park
[Please lift tab on your plan]
117 spaces are provided here (a loss of 36 form what was previously Lot #7) in an unattended metered car park. It is well lit and gallery-like in style. Cut stones panels that are indicative of the fauna above are pinned off light well walls and lit to become the art in the gallery. Also, meters are internally lit, change machines are conveniently located, and rear illuminated light panels flank the entry to the exit stairs. These light features add color, safety and importantly the chance for merchants to advertise, and the City to announce up and coming events.

(12) Perimeter Trees
30 feet on center, consider new species for town…possibly Kentucky Coffee trees.

(13) Park Trees
8 grand scale shade trees…Oak or Maple.

(14) Specialty Tree
These 6 flowering species are shad giving in the Parent's Play Area.

(15) Understory
Holly, hydrangea, forsythia and other leafy varieties create a soft wall to the park.

(16) 4 Seasons Garden
2 simple planting beds are flanked by 4 bronze 4 seasons garden sculptures. Roses, mums, pansies or geraniums are impeccably maintained in the 2 minimal beds.

(17) Big Grassy Area
Lawn for sunning and viewing Music Pavilion events. Also becomes the holiday staging are area for the Birmingham Tree (think about importance of a grand tree ala Campus Martius, Rockefeller Plaza, etc. Also allows for other religious denominations and their icons.

(18) Glass Paving Block
These 2 entry 'rugs' allow natural light to filter to the parking beneath by day, and becomes beacons intensely lit from below at night.

(19) Perimeter lighting
Birmingham standard poles at 30 feet on center, but uses one of Duany 's street lamp retrofits utilizing a spot as top of the lamp for further tree lighting.

(20) Perimeter Parking
Street widths remain as does parallel parking. Bump-outs are added to calm traffic and shorten the pedestrian experience while crossing the street. Duany thought perpendicular parking might be a solution to the loss of Lot #7 spaces. As mentioned, the City Manager questioned Duany's approach.

(21) Park Lighting
An ambient glow to the interior of the park is created by up lit washes and down lit pools of light. The Music Pavilion is always subtly lit. The 4 monuments at the Merrill Roundabout, The Freedom of the Human Spirit and certainly the water feature are illuminated as well.

(22) Obelisk
These 4 stone features that occur at the 4 corners of the park are petite in scale and sculptural, not informational.

(23) Light Wells
These additional openings provide for natural light down to the auto park. The cut stone panels mentioned in #11 project above and below grade in these wells, and become Birmingham's permanent Art in the Park.

(24) Wood Benches
These 4 benches are teak and occur at the children's play area and 4 season garden.

(25) Birmingham Benches
These are the new Birmingham standard.

(26) Community House
A designated drop off is located here. Could also be used for 2 additional on street parking spaces at various off periods.

(27) Auto Park Identity
This one of a kind pylon is again devoted to the architectural attitude of the park.

(28) Tomb of the Anonymous Citizen

Parking Count
This plan shows lot #7 losing 36 spaces as it disappears underground, and on street parking gains 14 spaces for a net loss of 22 spaces to the Shain Park proper as it exists today. Note that additional study at the Merrill Roundabout could retrieve 18 additional spaces without invading park. Shain Park proper could conceivable lose 4 spaces and double its prominence.

And Finally…
This plan shows 1 level of underground parking and must be certified by an expert in the field of parking structure design. 2 levels underground requires further study. Ventilation can be creatively addressed and code issues must certainly be reviewed.