* This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting. UH, THANK YOU FOR COMING [00:00:01] OUT. WE'RE GONNA GO AHEAD AND GET STARTED. GOOD MORNING. I'M NATHAN KELLY WITH BLAZER, AND I'D LIKE TO WELCOME YOU TO THE GRAND OPENING OF HEARTWOOD AT WEST LITTLE YORK. MANY OF YOU HEARD ME, UH, SAY THIS BEFORE, BUT YOU KNOW, WE CHOSE THE NAME HARTWOOD, UH, BECAUSE IT'S THE CORE OF THE TREE. IT'S THE STRONGEST PART TO US. THE NAME EMBODIES, UH, THE BELIEF THAT SAFE, HIGH QUALITY, AND AFFORDABLE HOUSING IS AT THE CORE OF A FAMILY'S ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL STABILITY, A CHILD'S POTENTIAL FOR EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT, AND A FAMILY OR CHILD'S OPPORTUNITY FOR ECONOMIC UPWARD MOBILITY. WE DEVELOP COMMUNITIES LIKE HARWOOD AT WEST NEW YORK TO FURTHER THESE CORE OBJECTIVES. NOW, WE STARTED THE, UH, CONSTRUCTION OF THIS COMMUNITY IN AUGUST OF 2020, IN THE MIDST OF MOUNTING COVID CRISIS. AND THROUGH IT ALL, OUR BLAZER TEAM WORKED DILIGENTLY TO MANAGE THE EFFECTS OF THE CRISIS AND KEPT OUR BUSINESS OF DELIVERING ATTAINABLE, AFFORDABLE HOUSING TO HOUSTONIANS. MOVING FORWARD, UH, REPRESENTING BLAZER WITH ME TODAY ARE MEMBERS OF OUR DEVELOPMENT, CONSTRUCTION AND PROPERTY MANAGEMENT TEAMS THERE, CHRIS CAMERON, TINA FULLER, DIANE CAPISTRAN, CHAD HILLMAN, MATT FUQUAY, HENRY RICHARDSON, ERIC ICK, BRIAN HENDERSON, AND MANY OTHERS. I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO SAY A SPECIAL THANKS TO OUR ONSITE TEAM, GUADALUPE GILL AND, UH, CAN, UH, CANDACE METZ FOR ALL THAT THEY'VE DONE TO SEE THIS PROPERTY FROM COMPLETION TO NOW BEING FULLY OCCUPIED AND HOSTING, UH, SO MANY FAMILIES BEYOND BLAZER. IT TOOK A LOT OF FOLKS TO BRING THIS COMMUNITY FROM A CONCEPTUAL IDEA TO REALIZATION. SO I'D LIKE TO THANK THE FOLLOWING PARTNERS THAT HAVE HELPED US ALONG THE WAY. OUR DESIGN TEAM, INCLUDING MARTIN CASEY WITH MC CASEY AND ASSOCIATES, AND TYLER RAY WITH WARD GET AND ASSOCIATES, OUR NONPROFIT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING PARTNER, JARVIS TAYLOR OF EDUCATION BASED HOUSING, AND OUR LONGTIME PARTNER, FRIEND AND LENDER OF VALERIE WILLIAMS WITH BANK OF AMERICA. UH, MEMBERS OF THE CITY OF HOUSTON'S HOUSING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT, RAY MILLER, RYAN BIBBS, AND PAUL Y MARK, AS WELL AS COUNCIL MEMBER AMY PECK AND HER TEAM, INCLUDING LIZ MIRANDA FOR ALL OF THEIR TIRELESS EFFORTS AND SUPPORT. AND FINALLY, MAYOR SYLVESTER TURNER. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE. WE APPRECIATE ALL OF THE SUPPORT. EACH OF THESE OFFICES LED US OVER THE YEARS IN DEVELOPING HOUSING FOR HOUSTONIANS. AND WITHOUT YOU, WE WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO BRING HARTWOOD AT WHISTLE YORK TO FRUITION. THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING HERE TODAY. IT TRULY MEANS A GREAT DEAL TO US. AND WITH THAT, I'D LIKE TO TURN IT OVER TO DIRECTOR BYNUM WITH THE CITY OF HOUSTON'S HOUSING COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. UH, WHAT A BEAUTIFUL DAY TO GO ALONG WITH THIS VERY BEAUTIFUL PROPERTY. WE WANT TO THANK YOU FOR COMING OUT AND, UH, WANT TO EX WE ARE VERY EXCITED ABOUT THE CITY'S PARTICIPATION IN THIS NEW COMPLEX SITTING HERE IN THE SFA SCHOOL DISTRICT, WHERE 150, UH, APARTMENTS WE'LL NOW PROVIDE, UH, UH, LIVING ACCOMMODATIONS FOR FAMILIES WHO CAN GROW THAT, WHO CAN GROW AND THRIVE IN THIS COMMUNITY. UH, PART OF MY RESPONSIBILITY ON THIS DEAL IS TO MAKE SURE WE RECOGNIZE THE PEOPLE WHO DO ALL THE HEAVY LIFTING AT THE CITY OF HOUSTON AND HOUSING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT. SO, ONCE AGAIN, RAY MILLER AND HIS TEAM, WOULD YOU JUST WAVE YOUR HANDS? UH, I KNOW RAY IS BACK THERE, AND AS WELL AS ALL OF ALL OF HIS TEAM, AND THEN ALL OF THE OTHER MEMBERS OF HOUSING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT WHO ARE HERE, WHO ARE, WHO PLAY ANOTHER INSTRUMENTAL ROLE THAT SIT IN THE BACKGROUND. SO IF YOU WOULD WAIT, RAISE YOUR HANDS AND LET THEM KNOW THAT THEY'RE, THAT YOU'RE HERE. THE CITY OF HOUSTON AND HOUSING COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT IS COMMITTED TO INVESTING IN COMMUNITIES WITH AMENITIES THAT FOSTER A SAFE AND HEALTHY ENVIRONMENT WHERE FAMILIES CAN GROW. SO NOW TO SHARE MORE INFORMATION AND MORE ABOUT THE CITY'S INVOLVEMENT, I'LL TURN IT OVER TO OUR MAYOR, MAYOR, SYLVESTER TURNER. WELCOME TO, UH, NATHAN. AND, UH, EVERYONE THAT'S PRESENT, THE ENTIRE TEAM. UH, LET ME JUST COME CONGRATULATE EVERYONE, AND THANK YOU ALL, UH, FOR, UH, THIS DEVELOPMENT, THIS HOUSING DEVELOPMENT, AND ESPECIALLY DURING, DURING COVID, UH, TO START A DEVELOPMENT IN AUGUST OF 2020 WHEN WE PRETTY MUCH WERE STILL IN THE HIKES OF COVID AND TO COMPLETE IT, UM, IS, IS REMARKABLE. SO, SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH, UH, DIRECTOR BYNUM TO YOU AND, AND TO THE ENTIRE TEAM FROM HOUSING COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT. LET ME THANK YOU FOR YOUR, FOR [00:05:01] YOUR LEADERSHIP AND WHAT'S TAKING PLACE. AND THEN OF COURSE, WE'RE IN DISTRICT A, SO THAT'S COUNCIL MEMBER, UH, AMY PECK AND COUNCIL MEMBER. IT'S GOOD TO BE WITH YOU. UH, UH, HERE. UM, LOOK, UH, STARTING AND I'VE GOT YOU STARTING IN JUNE. WAS IT IN AUGUST? JUNE APPROVAL, AUGUST START? YES, SIR. UM, AND THAT'S LESS THAN TWO YEARS LATER. UH, THIS, THIS BEAUTIFUL 150 UNIT, UH, THAT'S NOW READY TO GO AND, YOU KNOW, LOOK, STARTED, UH, LEASING PEOPLE. WHAT, UH, LAST YEAR AND NOW, UH, ALL OF THE UNITS, FROM WHAT I'M TOLD, ALL THE UNITS, UH, 100% LEASE. UH, SO THAT SPEAKS VOLUMES. IT ALSO SPEAKS TO THE NEED, UH, THAT EXISTS WITHIN OUR CITY FOR HOUSING. AND THERE'S A TREMENDOUS NEED FOR, FOR HOUSING. SO LET ME, LET ME THANK YOU. I DO AGREE WITH YOU, NATHAN. HOUSING IS THE CENTER OF EVERYTHING. UH, WHEN PEOPLE, WHEN PEOPLE ARE HOUSED, UH, IN A QUALITY HOUSING, UH, THEN EVERYTHING ELSE FLOWS BECAUSE THAT BECOMES THE CENTER OF ANY FAMILY. UM, AND, UM, FOR ALL OF US, UM, WE ALL BENEFIT NOT JUST THAT, THAT FAMILY, BUT THE ENTIRE CITY AS A WHOLE. SO, LET ME, UH, IN ADDITION, LET ME THANK EDUCATION BASED HOUSING, WLY BLAZER, UH, BANK OF AMERICA, MARK MU, CASEY, AND EVERYONE WHO PLAYED A PIVOTAL ROLE IN HELPING US PUT ATTAINABLE HOUSES IN AREAS THAT PROVIDE THE BEST OPPORTUNITIES FOR RESIDENTS TO LIVE AS A CITY. WE CONTINUE TO SEARCH WAYS TO IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF LIFE, UH, FOR EVERY HOUSTONIAN IN OUR CITY. AND THE CITY OF HOUSTON PROBABLY CONTRIBUTED, UH, $2.35 MILLION FROM THE C-D-B-G-D-R 17 FUNDING. AND THAT'S THE HARVEY MULTI FUND FUND, UH, FAMILY PROGRAM. UH, TO US, THE TOTAL COST OF THIS PROPERTY AND THIS DEVELOPMENT PROVIDES A HOLISTIC APPROACH BY OFFERING AFTERSCHOOL INITIATIVES FOR CHILDREN, ADULT EDUCATION CLASSES, CAREER PLACEMENT PARTNERSHIPS, HEALTH AND WELLNESS SEMINARS, AND OTHER SERVICES AT NO COST TO TENANTS. SO IT'S NOT ABOUT JUST PROVIDING A ROOF AND THE WALLS AND FLOOR, BUT IT'S ALL THE OTHER THINGS THAT FAMILIES NEED IN ORDER TO LIVE AND TO THRIVE. AND THESE FA PAST FEW YEARS, WE HAVE SEEN JUST HOW CLOSE, UH, SO MANY PEOPLE, SO MANY FAMILIES HAVE BEEN TO LOSING THEIR HOMES. IT'S JUST GOOD TO BE AT A CELEBRATION WHERE PEOPLE, FOR EXAMPLE, UM, HAVE MOVED IN TO THESE 150 UNITS, 100% OCCUPIED. UH, THAT'S, THAT'S JUST GOOD NEWS. AND THAT'S THE CITY WE ARE COMMITTED TO KEEPING PEOPLE IN HOUSING, UH, THAT IS SAFE AND AFFORDABLE. AND LASTLY, UH, LIVING HERE WILL BE A GAME CHANGER FOR MANY FAMILIES AND HELP ALLEVIATE SOME, SOME OF THEIR WORRIES. IT'S NOT JUST PEOPLE ON THE FRINGES WHO WILL BE LIVING HERE, BUT THIS COMPLEX WILL BE HOME TO EMERGENCY RESPONDERS, TO TEACHERS, TO MANY OF THE PEOPLE THAT WE VIEW AS BEING ON THE FRONT LINE, UH, WHO NEED, UH, QUALITY, QUALITY HOUSING. SO IT'S NOT JUST THOSE ON THE FRINGES, BUT SO MANY PEOPLE THAT WE RELY ON EACH AND EVERY DAY, UH, TO KEEP US ALL SAFE. SO AGAIN, LET ME, LET ME THANK, LET ME THANK ALL OF THE PERSONS WHO WERE, UH, INSTRUMENTAL IN MAKING THIS HAPPEN. AND I DO WANNA SPECIFICALLY, UH, UH, THANK MY HOUSING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT, UH, UH, EMPLOYEES, RIGHT? MILLER, HIS ENTIRE TEAM. BUT HOUSING HAS A WHOLE, BECAUSE EVEN IN THE MIDST OF CHALLENGING CIRCUMSTANCES LIKE COVID, WE CONTINUE TO RESPOND TO THE NEEDS OF THE PEOPLE IN OUR CITY. AND FOR THAT, I'M VERY GRATEFUL. THANK YOU, IF YOU WILL. YOU KNOW, I AM IN DISTRICT A, SO I DO WANNA RETURN TO DISTRICT A, UH, COUNCILMAN DON'T YOU WANNA SAY SOMETHING? THANK YOU, MAYOR. UM, AND THANK YOU, UM, BLAZER FOR THIS WONDERFUL COMPLEX. I ALWAYS GET SO EXCITED WHEN YOU GUYS BUILD IN DISTRICT A, BECAUSE I KNOW THAT IT'S GOING TO BE REALLY GREAT QUALITY AND THE PROGRAMMING THAT YOU HAVE TOO IS JUST ALWAYS WONDERFUL. SO I'M REALLY EXCITED THAT YOU CHOSE DISTRICT A FOR THIS COMPLEX. AND IN DISTRICT A, WE WANT TO KEEP PEOPLE IN OUR DISTRICT AND IN OUR COMMUNITY, AND THIS IS A GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO LET PEOPLE CONTINUE TO LIVE IN DISTRICT A, WHICH I BELIEVE IS THE BEST DISTRICT IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON. SO I'M JUST REALLY EXCITED FOR THIS NEW COMMUNITY IN OUR DISTRICT. THANK YOU. THAT INCLUDES OUR REMARKS THIS MORNING. OUR, [00:10:01] UH, OUR COMMUNITY, UH, WILL BE OFFERING SOME ONSITE TOURS TO EVERYBODY THAT'S HERE, JUST SO THAT YOU CAN, UH, TAKE A LOOK AND, AND SEE ALL OF THE, YOU KNOW, WONDERFUL, UH, AMENITIES THAT WE'VE GOT AVAILABLE TO RESIDENTS AS WELL AS THE, UH, THE COMMUNITY AT LARGE. SO THANK YOU MUCH FOR BEING HERE. * This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting.