Hoquiam’s newest waterfront park continues to take shape, with crews installing a shake roof on the covered picnic area in the last week.

Recently named Old Cannery Park — the pilings from a dock that was once attached to the Haines Crown Packers fish cannery can still be seen from the park out in Grays Harbor — after considering public recommendations, it’s located at Fifth Street and Adams Street and has long been a favorite spot for bird and boat traffic viewing on the north edge of the harbor.

“The park should be a perfect spot to watch the storms forecast in the next week,” said Hoquiam City Administrator Brian Shay.

The parking lot was paved and striped over the summer, and some landscaping work has been done. The picnic shelter that’s been taking shape over the past several weeks is the work of the Hoquiam Lions Club and club member Dee Johnson, said Shay, who are covering the full cost of the shelter.

“City staff has installed conduit and utilities for a bathroom down the road when additional grants are received,” said Shay.

The park so far, aside from the Lion’s Club shelter, has been paid for by a $160,000 grant from the state Recreation and Conservation Office and a $30,000 Grays Harbor Community Foundation donation.

Recently, several large trees that dotted the waterfront edge of the park were removed by the city due to trunk rot.

Mayor Ben Winkelman has been saying since that healthy replacement trees were in the works, and Shay confirmed that six large birch trees have been purchased and will be planted once the shelter is complete. Currently, the trees are at the city shop awaiting the right time for planting.