Birmingham OKs Plan to Bring Parisian Experience to Shain Park

is a popular place for Birmingham residents, and now, those looking to enjoy a slice of pizza in the park, chat with friends near the fountain or watch their children play soccer in front of the concert stage will soon have more seating options.

, the Birmingham City Commission approved the purchase of 10 sets of bistro tables and chairs in an attempt to encourage residents to sit, relax and spend more time in the city’s green center. The total cost of the tables and chairs will be between $3,000-$4,000, with each set costing around $300.

The classic tables and chairs will be purchased from Fermob, the French manufacturer of the tables and chairs found in Parisian parks, New York City’s Bryant Park and Campus Martius in downtown Detroit.

Originally, commissioners considered the bistro chairs alongside a heavier option manufactured by Landscape Forms, the company that provides the benches and garbage cans currently in Shain Park. However, Ron Rea, principal designer of Shain Park, stressed the importance of the movable nature of the bistro furniture.

“You should set them up and see where they end up at the end of the night,” he said, noting that any park furniture should be “that easy, that light and that transportable.”

Rea said the history of the Fermob tables and chairs goes back to 1953. They come in hundreds of colors, though the most popular are black and green — the colors used in parks throughout Paris.  

“Sometimes, when you find the best, it’s hard to come up with a replacement for it unless you come up with something smashing,” Rea said.

Commissioner Rackeline Hoff said she wasn’t entirely convinced that Shain Park needs furniture, and she expressed concern that the lightweight bistro furniture would be stolen or scattered throughout the park.

However, Rea said the furniture is meant to be moved, and where it ends up is a function of how residents use the park, whether that means a group of businesspeople gathering for lunch, women chatting over coffee or one person reading under a tree.

“This is not a food court, it’s a piazza,” he said.

The tables and chairs will be covered under the city’s liability policy and will be maintained by the Parks and Recreation Department. The original resolution called for the purchase of 26 sets of tables and chairs, but commissioners decided to cut that order in half so they can see how the furniture will be used.

The furniture, which must be ordered from France, is expected to arrive in six to eight weeks.