The 2012 Seattle Marathon will mean closed streets — and lots of post-turkey inspirational performances — around the CD Sunday. An “affected streets” map for the day’s running is below. Expect closures around the course starting around 8:30 AM through late in the afternoon.

The course travels along Lake Washington Boulevard, McGilvra Boulevard and a portion of E Madison St in Madison Park.

Go cheer them on, and feel free to post any photos in the comments below.

Affected Streets Map

You have until December 7 to bring toys to Garfield Community Center for their annual Holiday Toy Drive. All gifts donated will go to the children of families who have fallen in hard times.

The toy drive is held in partnership between the community center and the Associated Recreational Council.

From Seattle Parks:

Garfield Community Center has kicked off its annual Holiday Toy Drive. The toy drive provides toys for the children of families in the community who for a host of reason have fallen on hard times. Each year, the community center hosts a holiday party for up to 200 local children, and no child goes home without having received a gift.

The community center, in partnership with the Associated Recreational Council (ARC),  encourages local businesses, community organizations, and individuals to give generously by  dropping off  unwrapped or wrapped toys at Garfield Community Center, 2323 E Cherry St. (at the corner of 23

^rd Ave. E and E Cherry St.). If a toy is wrapped, please label it for gender and age.

Neighbors and friends can also make a donation of cash or by credit card by calling or visiting Garfield Community Center. ARC is a 501(c) (3) tax-exempt nonprofit organization, and contributions are tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law. Donors will receive receipts when they make their donations.

The toy drive will take place from now through Friday, December 7.

For more information, please call Garfield Community Center at 206-684-4788 or stop by during regular operating hours at 2323 E Cherry St. (at the corner of 23

^rd Ave. E and E Cherry St.). Operating hours are Monday – Friday from 10 a.m. – 9 p.m., Saturdayfrom10 a.m.-5 p.m., and
Sundayfrom noon – 5 p.m.

Parks works in partnership with ARC to bring high-quality, accessible and affordable recreation opportunities to the people of Seattle. For more information on ARC, please see http://www.arcseattle.org/.

Police are seeking tips after a man was found in Yesler Terrace with a life-threatening head injury early Wednesday morning.

The man, discovered at 1:14 a.m. on a sidewalk near 10th and Washington, appeared to be the victim of a vicious assault. He was transported to Harborview with a life-threatening head injury.

Now police are searching for any witnesses that can help them figure out what happened. Anonymous tips are welcome, police say.

More details from SPD:

Officers are actively investigating the circumstances that lead to a man sustaining a severe head injury in Yesler Terrace this morning.  At approximately 1:14 a.m. officers responded to a 911 report of a male victim who appeared to be the victim of an assault.  Upon arrival on scene officers located an adult male victim lying on the sidewalk near 10th Avenue South and South Washington Street with an obvious head injury.

Fire department medics were called to the scene and subsequently transported the victim to Harborview Medical Center with life-threatening injuries.

Officers are currently interviewing the man who discovered the victim and trying to locate any witnesses.

There is no additional information available at this time as to the circumstances leading up to the victim sustaining the head injury.

This remains an active and on-going investigation.

Anyone with information about this incident is asked to call 911 or Seattle Police and refer to this incident.  Anonymous tips are welcome.

Join your neighbors on Tuesday, November 27th from 6pm – 8pm for Garden Central’s annual wreath making party. The party takes place at the Lutheran Church of the Good Shepherd at 22nd & E. Union (enter from parking lot off of 22nd). This is a communal event; we share everything so bring greens or other items for making the wreaths along with a snack and any pruning shears or wire cutters. The wreath frame and wire are available to purchase for $5.00. This is always a fun event; hope to see you there.

Paul Allen’s Vulcan is one of two firms competing to partner with the Seattle Housing Authority in the Yesler Terrace redevelopment that is planned for the neighborhood through the next 20 years.

Vulcan is perhaps best known for it’s redevelopment work in the South Lake Union neighborhood. If selected, they will work with Capitol Hill Housing over the lifetime of the redevelopment. They are competing with the LA-based Cleveland-based company Forest City, which would work with New York-based Jonathan Rose Companies on the plan if selected.

The plans for redevelopment would dramatically change the shape and economic make-up of the neighborhood. Current subsidized housing units would be replaced using funds from land sales to high-rise developers. The plans passed the SHA’s board and the City Council this year, despite concerns from some residents and neighbors.

More details on the Master Development Partner decision from SHA:

Seattle Housing Authority today announced that Forest City with Jonathan Rose Companies, and Vulcan Real Estate with Capitol Hill Housing, are the two finalists in the Yesler Terrace Master Development Partner selection process.  The Master Development Partner will work in close partnership with Seattle Housing throughout the life of the Yesler Terrace redevelopment project, providing significant financial resources and extensive expertise in planning and implementing complex, long-term projects. 

“We are excited to have two major leaders in the real estate development field as our finalists,” said Andrew Lofton, Executive Director of Seattle Housing Authority.  “There are very few firms that have the resources and deep expertise for an ambitious project such as the redevelopment of Yesler Terrace.  Either of these candidates will be an excellent partner.”

The vision for a redeveloped Yesler Terrace includes creating a safe, vibrant mixed-income community, supporting economic and cultural diversity, increasing economic opportunity for residents and employing sustainable, green building principles.  The redevelopment plan centers on replacing the existing 561 aging public housing units in locations throughout Yesler Terrace.  The vision is contained in the Cooperative Agreement adopted by the City of Seattle and Seattle Housing Authority.

“We have worked hard with residents, stakeholders and the City of Seattle to craft a redevelopment plan that ultimately creates greater opportunities for our residents.  We expect our Master Development Partner to fully embrace the vision, principles and goals built around social equity and environmental sustainability that have been established for Yesler Terrace,” said Lofton.  “Both of our finalists are excited by the opportunity to partner with us to realize our vision.  This will be a unique public/private partnership that will align the expertise and interests of both parties with the core mission of our redevelopment of Yesler Terrace.”

Seattle Housing issued a Request for Qualifications (RFQ) on June 1, 2012 seeking a Master Development Partner with the vision, experience, expertise, financial resources and organizational capacity to partner with Seattle Housing on the final design and implementation of the development plan for Yesler Terrace.  Applicants were required to demonstrate the expertise, capacity and track record to implement a comprehensive, phased, mixed-income, mixed-use plan similar in scale and scope to the Yesler Terrace Development Plan.

The RFQ was published broadly and more than 40 individuals representing a wide array of local, regional, national and international real estate firms attended the pre-submission conference for the RFQ on June 26, 2012.  In addition to the teams named as finalists, Hunt Companies with Bellwether and Urban Renaissance Group submitted a response to the RFQ.

Both finalists are currently engaged in a due diligence process and final interviews will be conducted in December 2012. Seattle Housing will select one of the teams to enter into an exclusive negotiating period with the expectation that a contract will be signed in 2013.  The Yesler Terrace redevelopment project is zoned for up to 5,000 units of housing, up to 900,000 square feet of office space, and up to 153,000 square feet of retail and community space.

The Murrays are still looking for a permanent place in the neighborhood to call home after a devastating Halloween night fire consumed their second-floor flat at 26th and Jackson. The fire consumed nearly all their belongings, and the family could use a little community help to get their lives back in order.

There will be a fundraiser today (Tuesday) from 4–8 p.m. at the Chieftain Irish Pub at 12th and Marion.

As we reported previously, the biggest hurdle is finding a new spot to live. The girls (8, 10) go to Leschi Elementary, and the boys (11, 13) go to Washington Middle School, so finding a spot in the neighborhood is important. Swing by the Chieftain this evening and help out.

From the Facebook event:

Mark Murrary (Lead Carpenter at Seattle U and all around amazing guy), lost his home on Halloween to a fire. His family and he are currently trying to find a new place to live. They lost everything – and we are trying to raise money so they can nest in a new home. Please come – give what you can – have fun! More updates on specials and raffles will be coming soon!

UPDATE: The Seattle Firefighters-organized nonprofit Seattle’s Bravest recently donated a $500 gift card to the family, Seattle Times reports:

A family of six who lost their possessions in a Central Area duplex fire on Halloween Night received a $500 gift card this morning from Seattle’s Bravest Charity, a nonprofit organized by Seattle firefighters.

David Churchill, director of Seattle’s Bravest Charity, said the donation was made to help the family through the holiday season.

The deadline is approaching for appeals against plans to convert the former Yesler Steam Plant into a center for community services. The project is one of the first parts of a large series of changes the neighborhood will face in coming decades.

The Seattle Housing Authority received a $3.1 million grant to turn the Historic Landmark steam plant into a facility housing the “Neighborhood House’s Head Start Program, Catholic Community Service’s Youth Tutoring program, an Express Credit Union for affordable financial services and SEIU training center and Seattle Housing’s employment opportunity services,” according to the grant description.

The deadline to appeal the Department of Planning and Development’s approval of the plan is December 3.

Aegis Madison construction keeps moving

Meanwhile, the six-story Aegis Madison assisted living building at 22nd and Madison is wrapping up the major cement-pouring phase and will start building walls by the end of this month, the company says (thanks for the tip Andrew Taylor).

Other projects in the area getting close to completion are the MLK/Jackson Firehouse and the Imani Village three-story apartment building at 20th and Fir.