Nickelsville moves to Discovery Park

The estimated 75 homeless people who had set up a renegade tent city in Southwest Seattle and dubbed it Nickelsville moved tonight to land near the Daybreak Star Indian Cultural Center at Seattle's Discovery Park.

Volunteers who were assisting the Wednesday night move said the land belongs to United Indians of All Tribes.

A host of volunteer drivers picked up the Nickelsville residents from a state-owned parking lot at West Marginal Way Southwest and Highland Park Way Southwest near the Duwamish River at about 9:30 p.m. and drove them to what was promised to be a mystery spot with a view.

Only a handful of people knew the location beforehand — a secret effort meant to protect residents from immediate sweeping of the camp by authorities, said Aaron Colyer, a 28-year-old Nickelsville resident and activist who helped organize the relocation.

"I think this will be something more permanent," Colyer said. "We'll all be together in the same place as a community."

On Friday, some residents of the homeless encampment sporting 150 fuchsia-colored tents, faced with a sweep by Seattle police, had moved from land belonging to the city of Seattle to an adjacent parking lot on land that belongs to the state. They were given until today to vacate that property.

Noelene Clark: 206-464-2321 or nclark@seattletimes.com