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Cleanup in SODO underway ahead of MLB All Star Game; more needs to be done
Volunteer crews are out picking up trash and covering graffiti in Seattle's SODO neighborhood ahead of the All Star Game, which is expected to draw people from across the country.
SEATTLE, Wash. - Local business leaders say more cleanup is needed around T-Mobile Park before the All-Star Weekend festivities roll into Seattle in about two weeks.
On Friday, a few hundred volunteers cleaned up graffiti and trash around the Mariners' Stadium.
The volunteers worked from 9 a.m. until noon in Seattle’s SODO, Pioneer Square, Chinatown-International District and the Waterfront neighborhoods.
The effort was organized by the Mariners, the Seattle Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce, the Downtown Seattle Association, and Together Washington in preparation for the All-Star Weekend.
However, some long-time business leaders feel much more is needed before the big game.
"I’m going to tell you the truth: we’re not there yet. It’s getting better. We had nothing moved, nothing cleaned up. The city did nothing for two and a half years. And so while we have seen significant progress under this administration, there is just a lot that didn’t get done that we need to attend to," said Erin Goodman, the executive director of the SODO Business Improvement Area.
She said COVID had a huge impact on the progress SODO was making.
Goodman says while things are starting to get better, there are still problem areas-- like Third Avenue South, right near the ballpark.
"Property crime, vehicle crime, it’s homelessness and encampments, and the public waste from there. I mean, I could take out a speech that I gave in 2015 and give it again today. Same streets same issues," she said.
How each Seattle Mariner ranks in the 2023 MLB All-Star Game Ballot standings
The first round of voting for the 2023 MLB All-Star Game ends Thursday morning, which means time is running out to make sure the Seattle Mariners are well represented.
Goodman says local governments need to get involved with the cleanup as well.
FOX 13 News reached out to the mayor’s office to see how they are preparing for the All-Star Weekend.
The city says they have graffiti cleanups and work to deal with encampments throughout the city on a regular basis.
Officials with the mayor’s office say tents across the city have declined by 42% and RVs in encampments are down 29%.
The city says they are not doing any extra cleanup for the All-Star Weekend.
Goodman also suggests anyone attending the All-Star Weekend festivities use public transportation instead of driving their car.
She says with more people in the area, car break-ins are a concern.