New Shade Trellis for Barnum Park Receives City Commission OK

Donation dollars will continue to drive the re-development projects at Barnum Park, including the construction of a new wooden shade trellis in the center of the park.

At their Monday night meeting, the Birmingham City Commission gave the Community for Barnum Park the OK to proceed with plans for a wooden shade structure in what will be called the "Heart of the Park."

The trellis is part of a slate of other projects scheduled for Barnum Park, located at the intersection of Pierce, Frank, Purdy and George streets. The city has been looking to improve the park since fall 2011, when Community for Barnum Park received approval to begin fundraising for a variety of parkwide projects.

These projects include the creation of a santuary garden, improving the central area of the park with tables and chairs, installing toddler swings and the creation of several prairie or "no mow" zones within the park, according to the report presented to the city commission in 2011.

According to Lauren Wood, director of the Birmingham Department of Public Services, the sketches of the proposed wooden trellis were prepared by David Peterhans of the design firm, C3.

"The Community for Barnum Park is very supportive of the trellis shade structure design," Wood's report to the commission reads. "There are designated donation dollars to purchase one or two shade structures depending on the bid amount."

Moving forward, Wood said the city will seek bids on the trellis project in spring 2013. Also this spring, the city will be transplanting 58 trees in Barnum Park, at a cost of $6,000.

Already at Barnum Park, the city has repaired the wet area east of the ballfield, expanded the sandbox near the playground and planted 12 Linden trees in the Heart of the Park, all purchased through donation dollars.