Park face-lift is two years past deadline

Some work was delayed by standoff

From a distance, it appears East Boston has one of the nicest and newest parks in the city, with checkerboard picnic tables, freshly planted pines, and modern playground equipment.

But inside the park, the children using the ball fields have to bring their own base pads, the stone interactive children's fountain has never worked, and the drinking fountains have never spouted water. Weedy grass remains unmowed in some areas, and the stakes from temporary fencing have yet to be taken down.

Memorial Park, wedged between Logan International Airport rental car agencies, was granted $5 million in Big Dig money to expand and spruce up - part of an effort to offset the massive construction project's impact on East Boston. But for years the park lingered in a bureaucratic standoff, with work unfinished and no one willing to take responsibility for its upkeep.

Finally, over the past few days, workers have begun mowing much of the grass. And for the first time, they have strung nets on the tennis courts.

But it remains a work in progress. Its official opening has been delayed at least two years as Massachusetts Turnpike Authority officials, the City of Boston, and Barletta Engineering Co. - the contractor hired to make the improvements - haggle over "punch list" items.

These incomplete construction issues are part of a master list of unfinished Big Dig work estimated at tens of millions of dollars.

Two children's Little League fields have base paths, but one has a mix of shin-high weeds that would cause more than a few scrapes if anyone tried sliding. None of the city leagues play there, even though there is a need for more ball fields.

Fred Talamantes, an East Boston resident who walks his dachshund, Lucky, in the park, said he's never seen "any organized anything out here."

Yesterday, a group of children played a pick-up game on the field that was mowed last week, but they had to bring their own bases.

Other dog-walkers frequent the park, as do softball and soccer players playing pickup games, and some children who come with their parents to use the playground.

The park includes a track, an artificial turf soccer field, paths, and a playground, in addition to the Little League fields.

Work on the park started in 2004 and was supposed to be completed in 2006, according to city documents.

The Turnpike Authority, which runs the Big Dig, hired Barletta to refurbish and expand the park for the city.

The City of Boston Parks Department was supposed to take over upkeep when the park was finished, but the city has consistently refused to accept it for fear the outstanding work will not be completed.

City officials have taken numerous walk-throughs and written letters pointing out flaws and urging Pike officials to put more pressure on Barletta to hurry.

A June 6, 2007, letter, written after several missed deadlines for the park's opening, pointed out 19 flaws, documented with photographs, including weed-infested plant beds, patchy and poorly seeded ball fields, dead trees, incomplete irrigation, working lights that didn't work, and the fountain, which is shaped like a giant compass and does not work either.

"As the completion date for Memorial Park is extended further into the summer season, East Boston residents are growing more anxious about the inability to fully use their park," wrote Boston Parks Commissioner Toni Pollak.

The letter asked Big Dig project directors to "expedite the completion of these outstanding items."

Mac Daniel, Turnpike Authority spokesman, said there has been some frustration with Barletta in the past, but officials are confident the builder "has been stepping it up" and will work hard over the next few weeks in hopes of finishing by the end of this month. Barletta workers were out at the park last week, he said.

"Certainly, we are withholding some of the funding, as kind of a motivating factor to get things done," Daniel said. He said he did not know how much was held back.

Barletta officials did not return numerous calls seeking comment.

Pollak said she has not wanted to start regular maintenance because she would lose leverage over Barletta to finish the park. Barletta and the Turnpike Authority, she said, are responsible for maintaining the park in the meantime.

"It's very frustrating, very, very frustrating. It's been going on, and on, and on," she said. "We meet out there. We make new deadlines, and it still doesn't get done."

A Barletta engineer at the park last week who declined to give his name said the property "has come a long way" since the renovations began.

"There was needles and all kind of stuff here," he said.

Daniel rebutted allegations that upkeep has been poor, attributing the weeds and overgrown grass to rainy weather.

"Even though it's still not fully complete, it's still being used," he said.

Daniel said the Turnpike Authority had been working to close out the contract on the nearby Bremen Street park first and that the authority has made a big commitment in East Boston, adding 50 acres of landscaping as part of Big Dig mitigation work.

Correspondent Alex I. Oster contributed to this report. Bierman can be reached at nbierman@globe.com.