Friday was slated to be a day of annexation celebration at Juanita Beach Park. Kirkland City officials hoped to show new residents what the city is all about.

Instead, residents were asking why the southern portion of the park – which was set to be completed by Wednesday – is still fenced off and torn up.

The issue came to a head on Friday morning as the city terminated Arlington, Wash.-based contractor DMSL Construction, Inc. for not completing the project on time.

“We terminated the contract effective today,” said Kirkland Parks Interim Deputy Director Micheal Cogle. “They have performed in an insufficient manner.”

A DMSL Construction Inc. representative declined to comment on the issue other than to say, “I am meeting with my attorney on Monday.”

DMSL has had financial issues during the construction, which has slowed the project, along with inclement weather.

“We’re sad this had to happen,” said Kirkland Mayor Joan McBride. “(The decision) was done very quickly.”

The city entered into a contract in March, 2010 for $1.18 million for the contractor to complete improvements to the southern portion of Juanita Beach Park. Construction began in May 2010.

“The city is as disappointed as the community about the lack of performance that has resulted in a family-favorite park not being opened yet,” said Jenny Schroder, Kirkland Parks and Community Services Department director, in a release. “We were given plans and repeated assurances that the work would be completed on time and unfortunately the contractor did not deliver on its promises.”

The issue started to come to light during March when residents began asking why the pace of work was so slow and very little visible progress had been made during the winter.

“It is such a big park that people wonder if anything is going on,” Cogle told the Reporter at the beginning of April. “The workers just get lost in the size sometimes and they are hard to see. But they are there.”

He added that the city anticipated the beach would reopen “before summer and right now we are projecting that construction will continue through May … expect to see the pace pick up shortly.”

But the pace never picked up. Other than blacktop for the parking lot, very little visible progress has been made. When asked if there is anything the city should have done differently or approached the subject of switching contractors earlier, Cogle said “no.”

“We monitored their work on an ongoing basis and they had some setbacks,” said Cogle on Friday. “We tried to hold them to their contractual requirements, but ultimately we did not feel that they had a firm plan to finish the park.”

But a new contractor can’t come soon enough as the fences and piles of dirt in the southern half loomed across from the annexation celebration on Friday.

McBride said that the city will go back to its public works roster and choose from the original bidders on the project “so we can get this done quickly.”

For those who frequent the park, the frustration of a year without the beach-side portion has been frustrating.

Spud Fish and Chips owner Larry Marion, who’s business is across the street from the park, suggested during the council meeting Tuesday that the city require the new contractor to put signage out that tells residents the work is under new management and a countdown as to when it will open: “… it becomes a requirement of that general contractor, with oversight from the city, to change that sign every day … and they start to get excited about the park opening again.”

City officials said that the project remains within budget as they only paid for work completed.

“What we want is this park for the summer and we need it for the summer,” said McBride. “It is one of the most popular parks on the lake and we want to see it done.”