Here, a volunteer helps break down camp at Nickelsville's South Park location Thursday, July 23, before it moved to Terminal 107 Park just north on Marginal Way. They were told by the governor's office and state patrol to vacate by 10 a.m. Friday, July 24, but left Thursday night and entered Terminal 107.
Nearly 70 homeless residents from the Nickelsville encampment and more than15 homeless activists vacated their South Park tent city Thursday, July 23 and caravaned with three yellow moving vans of possessions a couple of miles north to Terminal 107 Park, 4700 West Marginal Way, at about 8 p.m.
The encampment had been ordered to vacate their South Park digs with a 7 p.m. deadline Thursday by Gov. Chris Gregoire's office and the Washington State Patrol because they were on land owned by the state Transportation Department.
The state then given a grace period of an additional 15 hours, but the homeless encampment vacated by about 7 p.m. yesterday. They had been on state land since June 6.
The eight-acre Terminal 107 Park is one of several owned by the Port of Seattle. Signs are posted at the camp that say "No camping allowed."
As the homeless residents and volunteers broke out their hammers and broke down their makeshift kitchen, community headquarters and tents, including some of those original little pink dome dwellings donated last summer by a girl scout troop, spokespeople for Nickelsville were tight-lipped as the deadline approached when questioned by the media where they would go next.
At east one TV crew followed the bright yellow trucks to the next location, and word got out.
This is the eighth Nickelsville location since last September when the encampment was removed by police from a South Park site adjacent to the space it vacated last night.