Anything associated with the Big Dig has been tainted by contractor corruption, with government complicity.  Most of the time this corruption's disguised as incompetence, as has been the case with North Point Park. There was an article in this morning's Globe that mentioned some of the "setbacks" the 8.5 acre parcel has faced:

Lawn quality was poor, so the Central Artery project ordered the contractor to reinstall grass in some areas; concrete holes for bridge railings were improperly drilled and had to be redone.

The delays pushed back the park's opening date to the spring of 2006, then to the fall of 2006, then to the spring of 2007. The park would have opened this summer, [Fred Yalouris, director of architecture and urban design for the Turnpike Authority's Central Artery/tunnel project] said, were it not for one final headache: the paint on some 2,700 linear feet of galvanized metal railings that was expected to last decades instead began cracking and peeling months after the railings were installed.

The only solution was to rip out the railings and have them sandblasted, rewelded and regalvanized, Yalouris said.

"We had a fairly complicated coating system that was supposed to ensure a much greater longevity of the paint, so that's kind of why we were so finicky. We paid for the extra protection," said Yalouris. "The contractor considered trying to fix it on site. Well, you really can't fix it in the field unless you want to build kind of an enclosure [that] would be very costly, and you have to monitor it . . . so really, we insisted they go back to the shop."

Even that process was fraught with delays. Debate lingered on (and lingers today) about why the paint was peeling: either the paint was defective, or a coat of primer failed, or the railings were improperly welded or designed. Then the subcontractor responsible for the railings, E.C. Hilliard of Franklin, a reputable company that built the White House's driveway gates, went bankrupt.

A number of the redone railings began peeling and had to be sent back again, Yalouris said.

The thing that I find disturbing about this is that it's not the exception at all—it's the rule—in everything from private home construction to contracting out the war in Iraq. Subpar work at through-the-nose prices.  Endless delays, ever-inflating costs, and as many do-overs on account of shoddy worksmanship as possible before reaching the point of blatant fraud. 

And we accept it, partly, I think, because fraud is essentially the engine of our economy. And while the Globe piece paints a picture of benign "setbacks," I think it's obvious what's going on.  I have, of course, no proof, whatsoever.  But come on.

I suspect that's partly what's going on with the delays on the Storrow Drive project, too.

I rode over to the park earlier today to have a look around myself.  I ride past it—on Monsignor O'Brien Highway on my way from Cambridge to Boston—fairly regularly and had been meaning to take a closer look for awhile.  It's still fenced in like the article says, and the entrances are supposed to be locked, but despite the NO ENTRY signs, it was wide open when I got there today.

Because of that great tangle of on- and off-ramps, the train tracks, and Boston Sand and Gravels facility right there in the middle of it all...


...I was frankly skeptical the park could be the "stunning," "amazing" "great new civic space" the Globe piece proclaims it to be.  And I wouldn't call it any of those things, exactly, but I have to admit it is really a very nice little spot.  I'm not sure it could ever be a "great civic space," because of its location, and it's far from an amazing space, but it does have hands-down the best view of the Zakim wishbones to be had anywhere that I know of:


...if that does it for you. I bet it's pretty at night, anyway. 

It is, inarguably, a vast improvement over what was there before.  And it is a lovely spot, surprisingly placid for being hemmed in by noisy traffic on all sides.  I don't know who will end up actually utilizing it.  It's not exactly a destination, but it does border several high-rise condo developments.  Good for property values, I guess.

Across the way is the Nashua Street Park, a sliver of green space that is a bit more mature than North Point...


I think it's a good thing there are plans in the works for a skateboard park, too, because the skateboarders are restless...


It's all good.  Boston needs these new parks and parcels, even if they do come along at an excruciatingly slow pace and at an awfully high price.