Seattle Sweeps Away Homeless, Cleans Up for MLB All-Star Game

The Major League Baseball All-Star Game and its related activities are coming to Seattle next week, and a massive cleanup effort has begun in the areas expected to see lots of traffic from fans.

Downtown areas being swept of homeless camps

According to AM 770 KTTH Radio and MyNorthwest.com's Jason Rantz, very noticeable cleanups have begun in Downtown, SODO, and Pioneer Square. SODO used to mean 'south of the Kingdome, but since it was imploded years ago, it now means 'south of downtown.'

Sidewalks are being cleaned, homeless camps and campers are being moved out, and trash piles and garbage are being hauled away by truckloads.

Rantz reports the SODO District has been especially noted for rampant drug activity, police say people use the RV's parked everywhere as 'hidden' locations to use drugs.

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According to MyNorthwest.com, homeless people have said they're being told they have to vacate the area immediately. However. some activist groups are circulating flyers through these areas, urging the homeless to stay, and even bring their RV's to the districts near T-Mobile Park.

 Several civic groups numbering several hundred people have staged cleanup efforts using volunteers in the weeks leading up to the game, but these latest efforts are the first real push by the city to get it ready for the MLB activities.

Seattle last hosted the All-Start game in 2001.