* 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. [Press Conference: "Southern Palm Development Groundbreaking"] [00:00:18] HI, UH, I'M NOT GONNA SPEND A LOT OF TIME, UH, TALKING TO, YOU KNOW, TOO MUCH ABOUT THE, ABOUT THE COMMUNITIES. YOU CAN SEE WE ALREADY GOT UNDERGROUNDS GOING IN NOW. SO THE UNDERGROUND, FOR THOSE THAT DON'T KNOW, THAT'S GONNA BE YOUR WATER, UNDERGROUND WATER, STORM AND SEWER. AND, UH, MARCUS, I SEE YOU OUT THERE, MARCUS. WAVE TO THE PEOPLE THERE HE IS. GOT THAT HEAD ON. HE'S GOT, HE'S LOOKING TO CLEAR EVERYBODY OUT SO HE CAN TAKE AND GET BACK TO WORK HERE. SO RIGHT NOW WE GOT MAYOR, THE WHOLE UNDERGROUND SYSTEM WITH WATER THAT'S ALREADY IN RIGHT AFTER THE WATER COMES IN. WE'LL BE GOING IN WITH THE, UH, STORM AND THEN BE COMING IN WITH THE SEWER ON TOP OF THAT, OR SEWER, AND THEN STORM ON TOP OF THAT. AND THEN WE GOT CENTER POINT. DO WE HAVE ANYBODY FROM CENTER POINT HERE? YEAH, NOBODY FROM CENTER POINT HERE. I'LL ACTUALLY BE WITH THEM TONIGHT, SO NO WORRIES. I'M GONNA MAKE SURE YOU THAT THEY KNOW THAT YOU SENT ME SO THAT WE CAN GET, SO WE CAN GET CENTER POINT HERE BECAUSE CENTER POINT IS GONNA DO WHAT'S CALLED JOINT TRENCHING. JOINT TRENCHING. EVERYTHING GOES INTO THE GROUND AS IT RELATES TO THE UNDERGROUND. SO YOU GOT STORM, WATER, SEWER, AND THEN WE'RE GONNA HAVE ALL YOUR DRIVES, WHICH YOUR GAS AND ELECTRIC THAT'S GONNA GO IN AS WELL, UH, AS WELL AS TV AND TELEPHONE. SO WE'RE VERY, VERY EXCITED ABOUT IT. 40 HOUSES THAT ARE GONNA BE GOING IN, ALL OF 'EM ARE SIMILAR IN DESIGN. THREE BEDROOMS, TWO AND A HALF BATH, TWO CAR GARAGE, ABOUT 1,650 SQUARE FEET AND PRICE POINT WISE. SO I'M GONNA END WITH THAT. IT'S ALL BEEN SOLD BELOW MARKET. LET'S GIVE THAT A HAND CLAP. I HOPE IT SOLD BELOW MARKET. YOU CAN'T, YOU CAN'T DO ANY BETTER THAN THAT. SO WE'LL RANGE ANYWHERE FROM ABOUT TWO 49 MILLION, I BELIEVE, JUST INSIDE 2 98, SOMEWHERE OVER THE END. AND WE'RE HOPING THAT WE'RE GONNA BE ABLE TO GET SOME SUBSIDIES THAT THE HOME BUYERS WILL MAKE IT A LITTLE BIT EASIER FOR THEM TO GET A HOME. WE KNOW THE INTEREST RATES HAS GOTTEN INCREDIBLY HIGH NOW, SO WE'RE GONNA DO ALL THAT WE CAN TO KEEP INSISTING THEM. I, UH, I FEEL LIKE THAT I'M LEAVING SOMEBODY OUT HERE. UH, COUNCIL MEMBER, WE LOVE YOU. THANK YOU SO MUCH. SO SHE TOOK THOSE PHONE CALLS TOO LATE ON IN THE EVENING. YOU KNOW, I CALL HER COME TIME, SAID, COUNCIL MEMBER, I NEED YOU TO MAKE SURE THIS WORKS. AND SHE HAD A TEAM, UH, THAT MADE SURE THAT WE GOT ANYTHING THAT WE NEED. AND I, UH, I'M GONNA BOUNCE BACK JUST REALLY QUICK TO C-C-P-P-I AND THE GROUP THERE. I'M LOOKING AT YOU, BOB. THANK YOU MAN SO MUCH. LET WE GIVE BOB A HAND CLAP. BOB. HE MADE SURE THAT HE WENT THROUGH ALL OF THE PERFORMERS, THE PROJECTIONS AND THE MATH HAD TO BE RIGHT, MAN. SO HE SAID, LISTEN, WE GOING DO THIS, YOU GOTTA MAKE SURE THAT THE MANAGERS ARE RIGHT. AND THEY WENT THROUGH A SERIES OF ARTISTS. SO WE'RE VERY, VERY HAPPY ABOUT THAT AND MAKING SURE THAT I GOT 'EM WAVING HERE. SO I I HADN'T FORGOT ABOUT YOU ALL YET. OKAY. LIVED IT RIGHT? LIVED IT BACK. THAT'S RIGHT. ALL OF THE LENDERS THAT ARE THERE. THANK, WE GOT MAMA BEARS HERE. SO WE GOT QUAE HERE. WE LIMITED BANK QUAE. I'LL GET A CHANCE TO SEE A FEW WORDS. MARK MCGEE, WE'VE ALREADY TALKED ABOUT. MARK, UH, MARK IS WITH AMGEN BANK. MARK AND I, AGAIN, WE SHOT A COMMERCIAL A WHILE BACK. I SPOKE TO YOU EARLIER, MARK, WITH TON BAKERS GONNA BE PROVIDING THE FINANCING FOR WHAT'S KNOWN AS THE HORIZONTAL, RIGHT? SO THIS PROJECT WILL COME IN TWO PHASES, HORIZONTAL AND THEN YOUR VERTICAL. AND THAT'S WHERE LIBBY BANK AND TRUST WOULD STEP IN. AND THOSE GUYS WILL STILL FEW WORDS THERE. I WOULD BE REMISS IF I, UH, IF I SAT DOWN THERE AND DIDN'T SAY, UH, THANK YOU TO MY WONDERFUL STAFF. WE GOT MAMA BELL. SHE WAS THE ONE THAT WAS WAVING THERE, . AND, UH, SHE'S GOTTEN OUR CALL TO MAMA BE 'CAUSE SHE'S GOT A LOT OF THE YOUNG ONES THAT SHE'S GROOMING TO COME UP BEHIND HER. AND WE REALLY DO APPRECIATE THE WORK THAT YOU ALL DO ALONGSIDE WITH ERIC. THANK YOU FOR WHAT YOU'RE DOING. AND TO MY BEAUTIFUL WIFE, YOU KNOW, SHE, UH, YEAH, GIVE HER A HAND CLAP. GIVE HER A HAND CLAP. SHE PUT UP WITH ALL THE WOVES AND WOOS WHEN I WAS COMING HOME COMPLAINING ABOUT THIS MAN, ABOUT THAT, SHE SAID, OKAY, MAN, JUST LAY DOWN. LET ME FIX YOUR SANDWICHES. SOMETHING. YOU'LL BE ALL RIGHT, . YEAH. AND I, UH, THIS WEEKEND WE ACTUALLY, AND I'LL CLOSE WITH THIS, WE, UH, WE ACTUALLY MARKED A NEW MILESTONE TO MY DAUGHTER. SHE, UH, WE HAD A GENDER REVEAL IN ONE OF OUR PROPERTIES IN THIRD WARD. AND I HAD, UH, I HAD A NICE PINK SHIRT ON BECAUSE SHE HAD TO WEAR THE COLOR THAT YOU THOUGHT THAT THE GENDER WOULD BE. AND TO MY SURPRISE, IS GONNA BE OUR FIRST GRANDSON. AND, UH, YEAH, YEAH, YEAH. I, I, I THINK I, I THINK I'M HAPPY ABOUT THAT, BUT I DON'T, I DON'T KNOW QUITE KNOW YET, MAN. I'M FIGURE OUT, OUT. BUT LISTEN, THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH FOR SPENDING SOME TIME HERE WITH US TODAY. WE REALLY DO APPRECIATE IT. AND, UH, LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING YOU COMING BACK FOR THE RIBBON. CUT IN. THANK YOU. OKAY, NEXT UP WE WILL HAVE KEITH W BYNUM. KEITH W BYNUM, SINCE JANUARY OF 1991, HAS PLAYED A PIVOTAL ROLE IN STEERING THE CITY OF HOUSTON HOUSING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT BY PROMOTING AFFORDABLE HOUSING, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, AND PUBLIC SERVICE PROGRAMS FOR ALL HOUSTONIANS. OVER THE PAST DECADE, DIRECTOR BYNUM HAS MANAGED THE H-O-P-W-A GRANT PUBLIC SERVICE PROGRAMS [00:05:01] UNDER THE CDBG GRANT, THE EMERGENCY SHELTER GRANT, AND WROTE AND IMPLEMENTED HOMELESS PREVENTION AND RAPID REHOUSING PROGRAM. IN EFFORTS TO PRIORITIZE TRANSPARENCY AND ACCOUNTABILITY, HE HAS DEVELOPED POLICIES AND PROCEDURES TO MITIGATE RISK AND ENSURE CLIENTS, DEPARTMENTS AND NON-PROFITS ADHERE TO ALL FEDERAL, STATE AND LOCAL FUNDING GUIDELINES. AS THE NEWLY APPOINTED DIRECTOR, HIS GOAL CONTINUES TO FOCUS ON AFFORDABLE HOUSING FOR HOUSTON'S MOST IN NEED RESIDENTS WITH THE HELP OF HIS TEAM AND HIS DEVOTED STAFF, HE WILL BE BUILDING HOUSTON FORWARD. I WILL BRING UP MR. KEITH. FINE. YEAH, THAT WAS A LOT OF WONDERFUL WORDS. SHE, ALL SHE HAD TO SAY WAS COMPLIANCE . I'M THE GUY, I'M THE GUY TO MAKE SURE, AND THE TEAM THAT MAKES SURE YOU DO IT RIGHT. YEAH, THAT'S ALL. BUT WE KNOW ABOUT THAT. BUT, UH, THANK YOU, THANK YOU FOR COMING TODAY. THE REASON WE ARE HERE IS TO CELEBRATE THE GROUNDBREAKING FOR SOUTHERN PALM AND AFFORDABLE HOME COMMUNITY. DESPITE THE MANY CHALLENGES WE FACE DURING THE PANDEMIC, THE CITY AND OUR PARTNERS CONTINUE TO BUILD HOUSTON FORWARD, WORKING TO ENSURE AFFORDABLE HOUSING IS WITHIN THE REACH OF ALL HOUSTON RESIDENTS FROM FIRST TIME HOME BUYERS TO SENIORS, I'D LIKE TO THANK THOSE WHO HAVE HELPED MAKE THIS COMMUNITY A REALITY. THE MAYBERRY HOME TEAM AND SHARON HAS BEEN A GREAT PARTNER WITH THE, WITH THE CITY FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS. MIDTOWN REDEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY, THAT TEAM, AND ALL OF OUR FINANCIAL PARTNERS, AS YOU ARE AWARE, UH, EACH PROJECT REQUIRES A DEDICATED STAFF. SO I AM EXTREMELY PROUD OF MY LARGE TRACK DIVISION AND ALL OF THE OTHER, UH, INDIVIDUALS WHO WORK IN HOUSING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT. HE, UH, SHARON CALLED OUT SOME, BUT ALL OF THE CITY OF HOUSTON'S, UH, HOUSING COMMUNITY STAFF, IF YOU, UH, STAND OR WAVE YOUR HAND, IT'S A LOT OF US HERE TODAY. THIS REQUIRES A HEAVY LIFT, AND WE CANNOT DO IT. I DON'T DO ANY OF THIS. THEY DO ALL THE HEAVY WORK. THEY DO ALL THE HEAVY WORK. SO THANK YOU FOR, FOR YOUR HARD WORK AND YOUR DEDICATION. OF COURSE, NONE OF THIS WOULD BE POSSIBLE WITHOUT THE VISION AND THE TENACITY OF THE MAYOR. UH, THIS DE THIS DEDICATION TO BILL BUILDING A MORE EQUITABLE CITY IS UNSUPPRESSED. UH, I'D LIKE TO INVITE UP THE GREATEST MAYOR IN THE GREATEST CITY AS WE TAKE OUR INVITE. MAYOR S THANK YOU VERY MUCH. I KEEP TELLING, UH, KEITH, HE ALREADY HAS THE JOB. HE, HE DOESN'T HAVE ADD ALL OF THOSE SUPERLATIVES, YOU KNOW, A JOB IS ALREADY HIS, YOU KNOW, BUT I DO WANT TO, UM, I DO WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE KEITH BYNUM, THE DIRECTOR OF HOUSING COMMUNITY, UH, DEPARTMENT, AND WHO HAS DONE JUST A STELLAR JOB, HE AND HIS ENTIRE TEAM. SO IF YOU ARE WITH HOUSING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT, PLEASE, UH, JUST STAND UP WHEREVER YOU ARE HAND. LEMME THANK GOD YOU LET ME THANK, UH, KEITH. UM, WE MEET ALMOST EVERY, EVERY WEEK. AND, UM, THEY HEAR THE SAME THING OVER AND OVER AGAIN. YOU KNOW, HOW ARE WE DOING? HOW MANY HOMES ARE IN THE PIPELINE? HOW MANY HOMES ARE GOING TO GET BUILT BY THE END OF THE YEAR? HOW MANY WE TURNING THE DIRT ON, YOU KNOW, OVER AND OVER AND OVER AGAIN. I KNOW THEY HATE THOSE COMP, THOSE, THOSE MEETINGS, BUT, UH, BUT I, BUT I REALLY APPRECIATE IT. WE'LL BE MEETING AGAIN ON WEDNESDAY, . LET ME, UH, LET ME, LET ME ACKNOWLEDGE FIRST THAT THESE ELECTED OFFICIALS AND COUNCIL MEMBER CAROLYN NEBA OF DISTRICT D, THE CONGRESSWOMAN OF THE 18TH CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT, SHEILA JACKSON LEE, IT'S GOOD TO BE ON THE STAGE WITH REPRESENTATIVES OF AM ENERGY BANK AND LIBERTY BANK AND GERALD WOMACK, THE REALTOR FOR THE HOUSTON COMMUNITY, YOU KNOW, AND ON AND ON THE BOARD OF HOUSTON. FIRST, UM, AL JANITA, SCOTT DAVIS. YEAH, I MEAN, THE BUILDER IN HER OWN LIFE. [00:10:01] DANIELLE BEST, WHO'S SERVING AS THE MC FOR THE DAY. DANIELLE, GOOD TO SEE YOU AGAIN. AND THEN OF COURSE, FOR ALL OF YOU, UM, UH, ANA, SEE TTA BACK THERE. AND YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW CATHERINE YORK AND BARRY BARNES, THEY HERE TODAY. SO YOU KNOW, ALL THE PEOPLE, MCDERMOTT. I MEAN, Y'ALL GOT 'EM ALL OUT HERE TODAY. HOW YOU GO, BARRY? YEAH. AND THEN OF COURSE, SHARON, I , I CAN'T, I CAN'T SAY ENOUGH FOR, FOR, FOR HIM AND FOR HIS FAMILY. UH, THEY ARE, UM, MAJOR BUILDERS IN THIS CITY. AND, UH, JUST A TREMENDOUS PART. I LOVE THE STORY ABOUT THE MERCEDES. YOU KNOW, TOOK THE MERCEDES BACK, GOT THE MONEY FOR IT, STARTED BUILDING. HE BOUGHT THE FIRST HALF OF GERALD AND THEN AND . AND NOW, BECAUSE OF HIS SUCCESS, HE'S JUST BUYING MERCEDES AND BENTLEYS AND YEAH, . BUT NO, GIVE IT UP TO SHARON. MAYBE. LOOK, WE ARE EXCITED HERE TO BE HERE IN THE SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD OF 68, THE GREATER OST SOUTH UNION, CELEBRATING, UH, THIS VERY SPECIAL OCCASION, THE GROUNDBREAKING OF SOUTHERN PALM, A NEW SINGLE FAMILY HOME DEVELOPMENT. UH, WE'VE BEEN WORKING DILIGENTLY TOWARDS THIS, UH, MOMENT SINCE DECEMBER OF 21. UM, AND AGAIN, I WANT TO THANK ALL OF THE COUNCIL MEMBERS WHO ARE HERE. I KNOW TIFFANY THOMAS, WHO IS ON COUNCIL OF OVER HOW HOUSING SUPPOSED TO BE HERE, AND SHE MAY JUST BE HERE BEFORE IT'S OVER WITH. AGAIN. LET ME THANK SHARON MAYBERRY AND THE MAYBERRY HOMES ON OUR TEAM FOR YOUR COMMITMENT THROUGH THE YEARS TO REVITALIZE THE HEART OF HOUSTON, ONE HOME AT A TIME. YES, BY MAKING QUALITY, AFFORDABLE, NEW HOMES FOR HOUSTONIANS. AND HE TALKED ABOUT AFFORDABLE, YOU KNOW, THEY'LL BUILD AT UNDER MARKET, UH, BUT WITH THE SUBSIDIES THAT PUT IN, IT WILL MAKE IT AFFORDABLE FOR SO MANY PEOPLE, UH, IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON. AGAIN, THANK YOU TO OUR COMMUNITY PARTNERS, AMEE BANK, LIBERTY BANK, MIDTOWN HOUSTON, AND C-C-E-P-I FOR THEIR COMMITMENT TO BRINGING AFFORDABLE HOUSING TO THE CITY OF HOUSTON. AS WELL, I ALSO WANT TO THANK MAG OUGH AND THE MIDTOWN REDEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY FOR THEIR CONTINUED SUPPORT FOR OUR AFFORDABLE HOME DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM. GIVE IT UP TO THEM. YEAH. IT'S A PARTNERSHIP LIKE THESE THAT CONTRIBUTE TO OUR CITY'S SUCCESS. UH, WHEN I ENTERED OFFICE, I VOWED TO INCREASE THE AFFORDABLE HOME INVENTORY IN OUR GREAT CITY. TO BE SPECIFIC, UM, MY GOAL IS TO ADD 3000, UH, SINGLE FAMILY HOMES, 3000 SINGLE FAMILY HOMES, GOT SOME THAT ALREADY BUILT, AND 7,000 MULTIFAMILY APARTMENT UNITS. NOW, I WILL TELL YOU THAT WE HAVE ALREADY EXCEEDED THE 7,000 A AND WE ARE TODAY'S ANNOUNCEMENT, WE ARE 44 HOMES CLOSER TO ACHIEVING OUR GOAL OF BUILDING THE 3000 SENIOR FAMILY HOMES. AND WE ARE WELL ON OUR WAY TO, UH, MEETING THAT AS WE PLAN. AND I KEEP PUSHING AND WE ALL KEEP PUSHING UNTIL WE ARE BROKEN GROUND ON CUT THE RIBBON FOR OR BEGAN THE DESIGN PROCESS ON THESE HOMES AND UNITS. SO I'VE GIVEN THEM A LITTLE BIT MORE FLEXIBILITY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. YOU KNOW, , I WOULD LOVE TO SEE THE HOMES ALL UP, YOU KNOW, BUT LOOK AT THE BACK, MAN. THAT'S ANOR BACK THERE. YES. AND, AND I WANT, AND I WANT THE GUY TO KEEP WORKING WHILE WE TALKING . SO CUT THE RIBBONS FOR, OR BEGAN THE DESIGN PROCESS ON THESE HOMES AND UNITS. BUT THE REALITY IS, IF YOU DON'T HAVE THE INVENTORY, THEN THE MARKET STRENGTHS AND PRICES GO UP. SO IF YOU WANT THE CITY TO CONTINUE TO BE AFFORDABLE, THEN YOU HAVE TO BUILD AND YOU HAVE TO BUILD SOONER RATHER THAN LATER. YEAH. AND IN ORDER FOR THAT TO HAPPEN, YOU HAVE TO HAVE PARTNERS WHO ARE CAPABLE OF BUILDING, AND, UH, THANK GOODNESS WE HAVE THEM. THE CITY OF HOUSTON PROUDLY CONTRIBUTED $2 MILLION IN UPTOWN TERRORIST BOND SERIES 2021 FUNDS TO FINANCE THE INFRASTRUCTURE NEEDED TO CONSTRUCT WHAT SOON WILL BE 40 NEW AFFORDABLE SINGLE FAMILY HOMES HERE AT SOUTH SOUTHERN PALM. AND YES, THAT'S CORRECT, 40 HOMES IN THIS COMMUNITY WILL BE AFFORDABLE. [00:15:05] AND TODAY, HERE WE STAND TWO YEARS LATER, AND DESPITE THE PANDEMIC ECONOMIC CRISIS AND SUPPLY SHORTAGES TO CELEBRATE THIS MILESTONE, UM, SEAN, I ALSO WANNA SAY AL ANGELITA APPROACHED ME WHEN I WAS AT ANOTHER EVENT TO TELL ME, MAYOR, THINGS ARE NOT MOVING AS QUICKLY AS WE WOULD LIKE . UM, I NEVER FORGOT THAT CONVERSATION, . UM, AND SO, UM, WENT BACK TO, UH, KEITH AND SAID, UH, I DON'T LIKE BEING OUT IN THE COMMUNITY, AND PEOPLE ARE APPROACHING ME ABOUT THINGS NOT MOVING AS QUICKLY. UM, BUT LET ME JUST SAY, LET ME GIVE A LOT OF CREDIT TO HIM. CREDIT IS DUE. I WANT TO THANK DIRECTOR BYNUM, AND I WANT TO THANK HIS ENTIRE TEAM, BECAUSE LET ME TELL YOU, WE'VE DEALT WITH A LOT AND THEY'VE DONE SOME, SOME INCREDIBLE WORK UNDER SOME VERY CHALLENGING CIRCUMSTANCES. AND FROM MY MAYOR TO ALL OF YOU, LET ME PERSONALLY SAY THANK YOU FOR WHAT YOU HAD DONE. I ALSO WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE SHANNON BUGS, WHO IS THE DIRECTOR OF MY COMPLETE COMMUNITY INITIATIVE. MANY OF YOU KNOW SHANNON. THANK YOU SHANNON, FOR YOUR WORK. NEW HOMES FOR OST SOUTH UNION. MLK IS PART OF OUR LARGE TRACK DIVISIONS, AFFORDABLE HOME DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM. AND THROUGH THE PROGRAM, BOTH FOR AND NONPROFIT DEVELOPERS RECEIVE FUNDING FROM THE CITY TO MAKE HOMES AVAIL, ATTAINABLE FOR HOUSTONIANS EARNING UP TO 120 A MI STERLING. THERE ARE CURRENTLY, THERE ARE SEVEN DEVELOPMENTS IN THIS PROGRAM. AND FINALLY, I WANT, AGAIN, TO THANK KEITH BYNUM AND THE HOUSTON HOUSING COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT, ESPECIALLY THE LARGE TRACK DIVISION FOR THEIR CONTINUOUS WORK TOWARDS INCREASING THE SINGLE FAMILY HOME INVENTORY IN HOUSTON. I DON'T KNOW WHO THE NEXT MAYOR WILL BE, BUT I DO KNOW WHO'S THE MAYOR NOW. AND I DO KNOW, I DO KNOW THAT AFFORDABLE HOUSING IS CRITICALLY IMPORTANT, ESPECIALLY WHEN WE BUILD IN COMMUNITIES WHERE WE HAVEN'T HAD THE INVESTMENTS AT THE LEVEL THAT THEY SHOULD HAVE BEEN. SO WE ARE PLAYING CATCH UP IN SO MANY WAYS, BUT IF YOU WANT PEOPLE TO CONTINUE TO LIVE IN THIS AREA, THIRD WARD, OST, SOUTH PARK, SUNNYSIDE ACRE HOME, FIFTH WARD, UM, THEN YOU HAVE TO PROVIDE HOUSING AFFORDABLE. OR EVEN THE CHILDREN OF PARENTS WHO GREW UP IN THESE AREAS WILL GO ELSEWHERE TO FIND WHAT THEY NEED. AND QUITE FRANKLY, WE DON'T NEED PEOPLE GOING TO THE LANDS. WE NEED PEOPLE STAYING RIGHT HERE YEAH. IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON. SO, THANK YOU ALL VERY MUCH, SHARON. THANK YOU AGAIN. REALLY APPRECIATE YOU. AND QUITE FRANKLY, I'M ONLY PERSON TO KNOW, LEMME JUST SAY IT'S ALWAYS GOOD TO SEE A BROTHER BUILDING IN THE CITY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MAYOR, FOR COMING ALL THE WAY FROM THE FOURTH BOARD TO THIRD WARD. WE ALWAYS APPRECIATE YOU AND WHAT YOU'RE DOING IN HOUSING. UM, NEXT UP WE HAVE A WOMAN WHO WAS, UH, WHO IS A NATIVE HOUSTONIAN FROM HOUSTON'S THIRD WARD, TEXAS AS WELL, A PROUD JACK YATES HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATE, A SPELMAN COLLEGE GRADUATE WITH A DEGREE IN POLITICAL SCIENCE AND A MASTER'S IN PSYCHOLOGY, AND A DOCTORATE OF EDUCATION FROM TEXAS SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY. AND SHE WEARS MANY HATS. UM, HER RESUME IS EXTENSIVE, BUT I WOULD LIKE TO SHARE A PERSONAL STORY ABOUT THIS WOMAN. SO I'M BORN IN HOUSTON, BUT I'VE BEEN A TAX PAYING HOUSTONIAN FOR THE LAST 14 YEARS. IT'S A DIFFERENCE. AND I WOULD SEE THIS LADY WALKING EVERY MORNING IN FRONT OF MY HOUSE WITH THIS EARPIECE ON. WHEN I FIRST MOVED IN. I SAID, WHO IS THIS WALKING EVERY MORNING IN FRONT OF MY HOUSE? SO I WENT OUT TO INTRODUCE MYSELF, AND THERE WAS NO ONE OTHER THAN DR. CAROLYN EVANS SHABAZZ. AND SHE'S STILL WALKING AND TALKING AT THE SAME TIME, WORKING ON HER INTERNAL HEALTH AND HANDLING THE BUSINESS OF THE DISTRICT OF DESTINATIONS. SO WITHOUT FURTHER ADO, PLEASE WELCOME DR. CAROLYN EVANS, SPAZ, OUR COUNCIL MEMBER OF DISTRICT D. THANK YOU, DANIELLE. AND HONESTLY, SHE LIVES TWO STREETS OVER FROM ME. AND SO, YOU KNOW, THERE'S A LOT OF GREATNESS IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD, AND SO THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH. AND THEN THIS GENTLEMAN [00:20:01] HERE LIVES RIGHT AROUND THE CORNER, SO WE ARE JUST TRYING TO KEEP IT MOVING, RIGHT? BUT, UH, A GROUNDBREAKING FOR NEW AND AFFORDABLE HOMES. WELL, FIRST OF ALL, I HAVE TO GIVE MY, MY SIGNATURE INTRODUCTION. I AM CAROL EVAN SHABAZZ, THE COUNCIL MEMBER FOR DISTRICT D, WHAT I CALL THE DISTRICT OF DESTINATION. AND MOST OF THOSE NEIGHBORHOODS, UM, THE MAYOR MENTIONED, OF COURSE, HE HAD TO THROW IN THE FO FOE AND THE FIFTH ONE. AND I GET IT, I GET IT, I GET IT. BUT A GROUNDBREAKING FOR NEW AND AFFORDABLE HOMES WILL BRING HOME OWNERSHIP FOR DESERVING FAMILIES. AND FRANKLY SPEAKING, IS ONE OF THE MOST GRATIFYING OPPORTUNITIES THAT I PARTICIPATE IN THIS OFFICE. HOME OWNERSHIP PROVIDES A SAFER ENVIRONMENT FOR FAMILIES AND LOVED ONES. IT PROVIDES HOPE FOR A STABLE AND SECURE FUTURE. AND IT WILL ESTABLISH A NEW PARADIGM FOR THOSE THAT ARE SEEKING TO HAVE WHAT IS USUALLY OUR BIGGEST ASSET. I AM SO ELATED TO SEE THIS PROJECT BEGIN IN DISTRICT D. AND CERTAINLY YOU HAVE TO BE VERY CAREFUL WHEN YOU START THANKING PEOPLE BECAUSE YOU'RE GONNA LEAVE SOMEBODY, BUT CHARGE IT TO MY HEAD AND NOT MY HEART. BUT I CERTAINLY, I CERTAINLY MUST THANK THE MAYOR. I IF, IF, IF THERE WAS ANYTHING THAT I COULD DO TO CHANGE THAT CITY CHARTER, HE WOULD CERTAINLY CONTINUE IN THAT POSITION. WE'VE HAD OUR BATTLES ABOUT THINGS, AND AT THE END OF THE DAY, WE, WE LOVE AND SUPPORT EACH OTHER. AND I REALLY APPRECIATE YOU, MAYOR. AND THEN YOU HAVE MR. MAYBERRY. I WANT TO THANK YOU AS WELL. AND YES, I DID TAKE A FEW PHONE CALLS, BUT THAT GOES WITH THE JOB, AND THAT'S HOW YOU GET IT DONE. WHEN YOU REACH OUT PERSONALLY TO PEOPLE AND MAKE SURE THAT THEY HAVE A BUY-IN, THEN CERTAINLY THEY WILL HELP THIS COME TO FRUITION. I WANT TO SEE, I SEE A LOT OF, UH, COMMUNITY LEADERS HERE, DR. TEDDY MCDA, PAULA WAGNER. I'M, I'M, I'M REALLY AFRAID THAT, OF COURSE, THE DEAR HONORABLE SONTA BERNIE, UH, JUST, JUST SO MANY WONDERFUL PEOPLE THAT ARE HERE. YEAH. AND I'M GLAD THAT YOU ALL ARE HERE AS WELL, BECAUSE YOU ALL WILL BE THE ONES THAT WILL HELP PEOPLE TO MOVE FORWARD INTO GETTING INTO THESE HOMES. AND THEN ON A PERSONAL NOTE, I HAVE TO, TO THANK OUR DIRECTOR, BYNUM. NOW, YOU ALL MAY NOT KNOW THIS, AND I ALWAYS LOVE TO TELL IT, AND THIS MAY BE PART OF HIS HISTORY, THAT HE DON'T WANT TO TALK ABOUT , BUT PEOPLE USED TO COME TO PARTIES JUST TO SEE, KEEP BY AND NOW, AND NOW HE'S SPENDING HOUSING OPPORTUNITIES. AND SO HE HAS CERTAINLY MOVED ON UP, RIGHT? . AND SO, YOU KNOW, I SEE REVEREND, UH, SMITH OVER THERE WHO SAYS THAT HE'S MY PERSONAL, PERSONAL PUMP GAS. HE RAN INTO ME AT SAM'S ONE TIME, AND HE PUMPED GAS FOR ME ONE TIME. HE DIDN'T PAY FOR IT, , BUT HE WAS THERE. MY HANDS DIDN'T SMELL LIKE GAS WHEN I LEFT, RIGHT? . AND SO I MUST CERTAINLY THANK THE PEOPLE WITH THE MONEY THAT ARE HOLDING THE BANK. UH, MR. MCGEE, WHO I JUST MET, AND QUAE STEWART. SEE, I GOT IT RIGHT. THERE YOU GO. HE'S RELATED TO BEYONCE. WELL, NO, , QUAE, RIGHT? AND SO ANYWAY, OF COURSE, ALGIN, SCOTT DAVIS, UH, WHO'S, UH, WITH MRA AND ADVOCATE FOR AFFORDABLE HOMES. AND I SEE CARL DAVIS, WHO IS MY CLASSMATE WHO'S OLDER THAN ME. I ALWAYS SAY THAT. AND CERTAINLY I'M, I SEE THE LEGEND BACK THERE, ELL BENNETT. AND IT IS JUST SO MANY WONDERFUL PEOPLE HERE. AND PLEASE FORGIVE ME IF I, UH, DIDN'T CALL YOUR NAME. AND THEN I BELIEVE MR. WOMACK IS GONNA SPEAK ON BEHALF OF OUR HOUSING CHAIR, UH, TIFFANY THOMAS. AND SO THIS IS A WONDERFUL OPPORTUNITY AND THIS BEACON OF LIGHT AND THIS COMMUNITY, UH, JUST TO BE HERE FOR, FOR THE GROUNDBREAKING. THIS WILL BE TRANSFORMATIONAL FOR 40 FAMILIES AND BEYOND TO FUTURE GENERATIONS. AND I'M JUST SO VERY HAPPY TO BE A PART OF IT. AND, UM, AGAIN, YOU KNOW, I GOT TO CALL A NAME ONE MORE TIME. THEY SAY YOU NEED TO DO IT THREE TIMES, BUT I'M COUNCIL MEMBER CAROLYN AZZ, THE COUNCIL MEMBER, MY DISTRICT DISTRICT. SO THANK YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER SHABAZZ. UM, I WILL PUT IN A PERSONAL NOTE HERE. SHE IS A WOMAN OF ALPHA KAPPA ALPHA SORORITY INCORPORATED. SO WE SHOULD KEEP THE TREND GOING WITH OUR NEXT SPEAKER. UM, THIS NEXT SPEAKER I HAVE ADORED. I'M SURE [00:25:01] EVERYONE IN THIS ROOM OR THIS TENT HAS ADORED FOR MANY, MANY YEARS. UM, NOT JUST FOR VAIN REASONS, BUT BECAUSE OF RESULTS. IF YOU WANT RESULTS, YOU CALL HER. IF YOU WANNA SEE SOME ACTION ON ANY LEVEL OF GOVERNMENT IN ANY SITUATION, YOU CAN CALL HER. AND NOW YOU KNOW, SHE WILL CALL YOU BACK. AND IT MAY BE A LITTLE LATE, BUT SHE WILL GET BACK WITH YOU WITH THE RESULTS THAT SHE'S PROVIDED. SO, WHEN I WAS WORKING AS WOMACK ASSISTANT AND MY FIRST THREE YEARS IN REAL ESTATE, I DIDN'T QUITE KNOW, YOU KNOW, I KNEW HER FROM TB AND I KNEW HER FROM ALL THE GREAT SPACES. BUT HER CALL TO EXCELLENCE IS REAL, AND SHE EXPECTS IT FROM EVERYONE AROUND HER. YEAH, THAT'S RIGHT. AND SO NO ONE ELSE CAN DO IT LIKE SHE DOES IT. SHE DOES IT WITH STYLE, GRACE AND WITH FORCE. SO I WOULD LIKE TO BRING UP MY CONGRESSWOMAN OF THE CONGRESSIONAL 18TH DISTRICT OF THE UNITED STATES, CONGRESSWOMAN SHEILA JACKSON LEE. I'M MY CONGRESSWOMAN, SHEILA JACKSON. BUT I CERTAINLY DIDN'T WANNA MISS. THANK YOU. YOU ALL SHOULD GIVE ME CREDIT FOR DANIELLE. BEING A REAL TAXPAYER WHO DOESN'T, DANIEL BEST, IS DOING AN EXCELLENT JOB, WE GIVE HER AN APPLAUSE. AND IT IS A PLEASURE TO BE AT HOME TODAY, TO BE WITH FAMILY. AND AS I LOOK AT THE SO MANY NAMES AND FACES, WE HAVE TRAVELED SO MANY MILES TOGETHER. UH, AND IT IS PARTICULARLY A SUPERLATIVE DAY TO AGAIN REINFORCE HOW LUCKY HOUSTON HAS BEEN THROUGHOUT TRIALS AND TRIBULATIONS. TO HAVE A STEADY LEADER ALIKE SYLVESTER TURNER AND I HAVE ENJOYED, UH, THE PARTNERSHIP, UH, THE WILLINGNESS TO TAKE THOSE LATE NIGHT CALLS, UH, AND THE FIGHT, UH, FOR HOUSING. UH, HE HAS BEEN UNCEASING, UH, IN PRESSURING, UH, THE US DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT, UH, WHERE MY FRIEND IS NOW THE SECRETARY. AND WE KNOW HER HEART. BUT THE AGENCY TO DO THE RIGHT THING, YOU HAVE TO REALIZE WHAT GOES ON BEHIND THE CURTAINS AND BEHIND THE TENT TO ENSURE THAT THIS CITY GETS ALL THAT IT CAN GET. AND I AM GRATEFUL, MAYOR FOR THAT KIND OF WORK AND LEADERSHIP. AND PARTICULAR, WE SHOULD TAKE NOTE OF THE HOUSING DIRECTOR AND AS WELL, THE MAYOR. THIS PLANNING WAS IN THE MIDDLE OF THE PANDEMIC. YEAH. LET'S GIVE THEM ANOTHER BIG HAND FOR UNCEASING ONE. DR. FREDDY MCDAVID, UH, THANK YOU AND YOUR LEADERSHIP OF THIS AREA. I'M NOT EVEN GONNA CALL ALL OF THE MANAGEMENT DISTRICT. I'M JUST GONNA SAY, UH, OF THIS AREA. AND WHEN I'VE HAD BRIEF MOMENTS TO COME TO THE CIVIC CLUB, WHICH REALLY COVERS ALL OF THESE LAYERS OF MANAGEMENT, CIVIC CLUB, THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH. PAULETTE WAGNER, MAN, ALL OF YOU WHO ARE PLANNERS, THANK YOU. I MUST SAY, JUDGE JEANETTA, UH, BERNIE, BECAUSE SHE IS UNENDING, AND UNCEASING AND THEOLA PETTAWAY, UH, REVEREND SMITH, WE THANK YOU AND NAMES THAT I AM NOT CALLING. UH, STRIKE IT TO THE TIME THAT YOU WANT TO GET OUT BEFORE THIS EVENING AT 6:00 PM . UM, BECAUSE I HAVE A GREAT ABILITY TO CALL NAMES, UH, AND TO ENSURE, UH, RECOGNITION. UH, THANK YOU TO THE BANKERS HERE. THANK YOU FOR RECOGNIZING THAT THIS TOO, UH, IS RIVER OAKS QUALITY. THANK YOU FOR RECOGNIZING THE IMPORTANCE OF OUR OWN HOUSING SPREAD, OUR OWN MAGNOLIA, UH, AREA, UH, IF YOU WILL, UH, IN SOUTHERN PALMS. THANK YOU FOR IDENTIFYING THIS AREA AS AN AREA TO BE IDENTIFIED AS SOMETHING VERY SPECIAL. AL JANINA SCOTT DAVIS, WE ARE CONTINUALLY GRATEFUL FOR THE POLICING WORK THAT YOU DO, UM, WITH KNOWLEDGE, UH, EVERYONE SHOULD KNOW. UH, HERE COMES A GREAT HISTORY, UH, COMING IN. GOOD TO SEE YOU. YES, GOOD TO SEE YOU. PRESIDENT OF THE CIVIC CLUB. PRESIDENT OF THE CLUB. YES. THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH. COULDN'T DO THIS WITHOUT YOU. I'M SO GLAD YOU GOT HERE IN TIME TO SIGN THE CHECK, AND WE'RE SO GRATEFUL FOR THAT. THANK YOU. AL JANINA. UM, THANK YOU TO GERALD WOMACK. UM, MR. MAYBERRY, SHARON AND GERALD WOMACK HAVE A DYNAMIC, UH, COMING [00:30:01] TOGETHER OF HEARTS. THEY ARE BUSINESSMEN, BUT THEY HAVE HEARTS, UH, BOTH BEING SEATED IN THIS THIRD WARD AREA. THEY NEVER GAVE UP ON THIRD WARD AND NEVER GAVE UP ON HOUSTON. AND THAT'S A VERY SPECIAL THING FOR THOSE OF US WHO HAVE TO SEND MONEY HERE. UH, AND YES, YOU WERE AIDED GREATLY BY YOUR BEAUTIFUL BRIDE, UH, AND THE FIGHT SHE HAS, UH, CLAIMED AND THE VICTORY SHE HAS, SHE IS MY SISTER. SHE IS MY SURVIVOR. I'M SO GRATEFUL TO GIVE HER MRS. MAYBERRY VERY BIG HAND, PLEASE. SO, LEMME COMMENT VERY, UH, BRIEFLY AND SUCCINCT AT THE END. AND THE END IS THAT EACH PART OF HOUSTON DESERVES THE ARRAY OF HOUSING THAT WILL COME HERE FROM SOUTHERN PALM. THAT'S RIGHT. THE COMBINATION OF BANKING, TAX CREDITS, OTHER FUNDING, FEDERAL DOLLARS, I HOPE, UH, WE JUST CAVED SOUTHEAST MANAGEMENT, $4 MILLION FOR STREET IMPROVEMENTS FROM WASHINGTON DC FROM MY DIRECT COMMUNITY PROJECTS PARTNERSHIP WITH COMMUNITIES TO UNDERSTAND WHAT CAN BE DONE TO MATCH, UH, THIS MAYOR'S LEADERSHIP, 7,000, UH, MULTI-UNITS, 3000 HOMES WHEN SOUTHERN PALMS OPENS UP, BUSINESSES OPEN UP SO THAT WE CAN WALK DOWN THE STREET FOR RESTAURANTS, WALK DOWN THE STREET FOR MAYBE A MOVIE THEATER, WALK DOWN THE STREET FOR ANY NUMBER OF THINGS IN THE OLD ST AISLE, AND TRAIL A PARK RIGHT ACROSS THE STREET. AND THE UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON'S MEDICAL SCHOOL, RIGHT IN YOUR EYE. THIS IS A PROMINENT AND IMPORTANT COMMUNITY. AND SHARON, BILL, BILL, BILL, MY TERMINOLOGY WAS YOU ARE A BUILDER FOR ETERNITY. YOU ARE GIVING, THAT'S SHAKESPEAREAN, BY THE WAY. THE MAYOR WILL TELL YOU THAT , UM, WE IN OUR EARLIER DAYS WOULD, UH, MATCH EACH OTHER WITH SHAKESPEARE IN OUR SPEECHES. WE'VE GONE OFF OF THAT RIGHT NOW, BUT WE WON'T GIVE YOU OUT SHAKESPEARE. PEOPLE , HE'D GET UP AND I'D GET UP AND WE'D BOTH SHAKESPEARE THEM TO DEATH . UM, BUT A BUILDER FOR ETERNITY IS WHAT I CLAIM. SHARON MAYBERRY IS BORN AND SEATED IN THIRD WARD. I REMEMBER YOU TALKING TO ME. I REMEMBER TALKING TO YOU, MAYBERRY, AND SAYING WHERE YOU WANTED TO GO WITH YOUR HOUSING TALENT. YOU STARTED OUT WITH ONE HOUSE AND BUILT UP A REPUTATION FOR THE PRIVATE BUILDING. YOU CAN SEE YOU ALL OVER FIRST DISPERSED ALL OVER THIS COMMUNITY. YOU'VE HAD SOME HOUSING DEVELOPMENT, BUT YOU SAID WHERE YOU WANTED TO GO WAS TO BE ABLE TO BUILD FOR ETERNITY FOR THOSE FAMILIES WHO CAN COME TO THEIR OWN SOUTHERN PARKS. AND I JUST WANT TO ENCOURAGE YOU TO CONTINUE THAT WORK, UH, AND TO ENSURE THAT WE ARE CONTINUOUSLY WORKING, UH, IF YOU WILL, ON BUILDING HOUSING. BECAUSE EVEN AS WE HOUSE THOSE WHO ARE UNHA, UNHOUSED AND HOMELESS, THERE ARE YOUNG FAMILIES WHO WANT TO INVEST, UH, IN THIS NEIGHBORHOOD. AS I ACKNOWLEDGE SHARON AND THANK HIM FOR WORKING WITH THE URBAN LEAGUE IN THE HOUSTON SOUTHEAST MANAGEMENT DISTRICT IN HOUSING FINANCE, AND BEING AN ADVISOR TO THE MAYOR AND WORKING WITH OUR HOUSING DIRECTOR IN A COLLEGIATE AND FORCEFUL WAY, THEY ARE TWO DYNAMIC MEN WORKING WITH THE MAYOR AND MAKING SURE THINGS HAPPEN. THANK YOU BOTH FOR THAT. I ONLY ENCOURAGE ALL OF YOU TO ENCOURAGE PLANNING, UH, TO SEEK OUT, UM, NEW OPPORTUNITIES TO HAVE NEW IDEAS. AND AS THE MAYOR KNOWS, WE ARE WORKING ON EVEN A SORT OF ENTERTAINMENT CENTER WITHIN A SHORT DISTANCE OF THIS AREA. WE ARE UN HOW SHOULD I SAY, DAUNTED BY WHAT YOU WERE, WE ARE FOCUSING ON WHAT YOU WILL BE AND WHAT YOU ARE AS WE STAND HERE TODAY. SO ON BEHALF OF PRESIDENT BIDEN, THE US DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT, SECRETARY OF FUDGE AND THE 18TH CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT, UH, IT IS, UH, MY PRONOUNCEMENT THAT WE CONTINUE TO BUILD ON WHAT THE PRESIDENT HAS PROVIDED IN THE INFRASTRUCTURE BILL, SOME TRILLION PLUS DOLLARS. AND AS WELL THAT WE CONTINUE TO BUILD ON WHAT MAYOR TURNER HAS DONE AS WELL. UH, IT IS IMPORTANT TO SAY THAT THIS IS NOT THE END OR THE MIDDLE. IT IS THE ONGOING WORK THAT WILL BE ACHIEVED. AND I'D ASK SHARON [00:35:01] MAYBERRY, AS I LOOK AT, UH, ALL OF YOUR FANS OUT HERE TO COME AND ACCEPT, UH, THIS CONGRESSIONAL ACKNOWLEDGEMENT, UH, BECAUSE YOU ARE DESERVING. BECAUSE YOUR DREAMS AND ASPIRATIONS ARE GIVING A LIFELINE TO NEW HOMEOWNERS. NOT ONLY HERE, BUT WHEREVER YOU PLANT THOSE SEEDS. SHARON MAYBERRY, WOULD YOU COME ZIP? DID YOU ALL SEE THAT WE NEED TO GO DOWN OR WE DOWN? ALRIGHT, MAKE IT LOOK GOOD THEN. THANK MY NORMAL ENDING. GOD BLESS ALL OF YOU. AND GOD BLESS THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. THANK YOU ALL FOR THE STATE. NOW, AS A SECOND GENERATION REALTOR, YOU WOULD THINK MY MOTHER TAUGHT ME EVERYTHING THAT I KNEW. UM, SHE WOULD PROBABLY SAY THAT, AND MAYBE, MAYBE NOT. BUT I CAN TELL YOU, FOR OVER 16 YEARS, I HAVE SAT UNDER THE TUTELAGE AND THE INSTRUCTION OF THIS GREAT MAN, THIS MAN, UM, I ONLY HAD TWO OPTIONS TO GO TO. MY MOM WAS VERY CLEAR ON WHERE I COULD GO AND WHERE I COULDN'T GO. UM, SO I SAT WITH HIM AND ONE OF HIS FIRST COMMENTS TO ME WAS THAT HE DID NOT PLAY . AND I SAID, I LIKE THIS MAN. AND HE DOESN'T PLAY, NOT BECAUSE HE'S, UM, MEAN, BUT HE IS SERIOUS ABOUT THE COMMUNITY. HE IS DOGMATIC IN HIS APPROACH AND MAKING SURE THAT EVERYONE HAS THE AFFORDABILITY OPTION AT THEIR DISPOSAL, REGARDLESS OF THEIR BACKGROUND, REGARDLESS OF THEIR HISTORY. BECAUSE HE UNDERSTANDS WHAT REAL ESTATE DID FOR HIM IN CREATING GENERATIONAL WEALTH. AND HE BELIEVES THAT PEOPLE SHOULD HAVE THAT OPPORTUNITY. SO IN THE ABSENCE OF OUR CONGRESS, UH, NOT OUR CONGRESSWOMAN, OUR COUNCIL MEMBER, TIFFANY THOMAS, UM, IT'S ALWAYS GOOD TO HAVE A LEGEND IN THE ROOM WHO IS READY FOR INSTANT PROGRAMMING, UM, AND BUT CAN MEET THE QUALIFICATIONS OF WHAT IS AT HAND. SO NOT ONLY IS HE THE PRESIDENT AND CEO OF WOMAC DEVELOPMENT AND INVESTMENT REALTORS, HE IS ALSO THE CHAIRMAN OF THE HARRIS COUNTY HOUSING AUTHORITY. I WOULD LIKE TO BRING UP BEFORE YOU ALL NOW, MR. GERALD WOMACK. YEAH. GOSH, WHAT A WHAT A WHAT A GREAT INTRODUCTION. I AM SO PLEASED ON JUST A NUMBER OF OCCASIONS TO BE ON THE STAGE WITH THE MAYOR AND THE CONGRESSWOMAN, AND IN PARTICULAR A BUILDER, SOMEONE LIKE ME WHO WAS REARED AND RAISED UP IN THE THIRD WARD. MY GOOD FRIEND NITA DAVIS, WHO I TALK TO EVERY MORNING, AT LEAST AT FIVE 30 IN THE MORNING, WE GET IT GOING. BUT I'M ALSO HAPPY TO BE HERE TO REPRESENT THE HARRIS COUNTY HOUSING AUTHORITY. AND GUESS WHAT? WE ARE BUILDING HOUSING. WE ARE ADVOCATING THAT RESIDENTS OF HARRIS COUNTY USE THEIR VOUCHERS TO BUY A HOME. AND SO THIS IS ONE OF THE DEVELOPMENTS THAT WE WILL BE PUSHING PEOPLE THAT ARE ON SECTION EIGHT THAT HAVE A VOUCHER, THAT THEY ALSO WILL HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO PURCHASE A NEW HOME. AND THIS IS ONE OF THE DEVELOPMENTS THAT WE WERE GOING ACROSS HARRIS COUNTY AND THE CITY OF HOUSTON TO ADVOCATE. BUT I ALSO WANT TO GO A LITTLE FURTHER BACK ON SOME STEPS THAT I THINK THAT WE OWE A LOT OF ATTRIBUTES TODAY. AND THAT IS TO THE SHRINE OF BLACK MADONNA. SHRINE OF BLACK MADONNA CAME HERE SOME 40 YEARS AGO. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. AND THEY BOUGHT THIS LAND. THAT'S RIGHT. TELL IT. THEY BOUGHT THE ACREAGE, THE SCHOOL HERE THAT IS HERE, THE SHRINE AND BACK MADONNA DID THAT. YES. I SOLD THEM SOME APARTMENTS AFTER THEY BUILT THE CHURCH HERE ON MARTIN LUTHER KING, WHERE THIS CHARTER SCHOOL IS NOW, THE, THE, THE MAYOR TURN, THE MAYOR OF LANIER CHARTER SCHOOL. AND THEY BOUGHT THAT LAND. I WENT TO CARDINAL NELSON. THERE [00:40:01] WAS A BIG HOUSE HERE AND SAID, CARDINAL NELSON, YOU NEED TO BUY THIS LOT AND THE NEXT LOT TO CONTROL THE REST OF THIS THREE ACRES THAT MIDTOWN LATER BOUGHT. SO IF ANYBODY WE NEED TO CONTRIBUTE TO WAS THAT WAS THE SHRINER BLACK MADONNA. YES. THEY WERE THE LARGEST, THEY WERE THE LARGEST PROPERTY OWNER ON MARTIN LUTHER KING WHEN NOBODY ELSE WANTED TO BUY IT. THAT'S RIGHT. THEY CAME IN AND THEY RESCUED THIS GREAT STREET, AND WE OWE THEM SO MUCH BECAUSE OF THE SACRIFICE THAT THEY TOOK WHEN WE HAD THE FLOOD. THEY TOOK IN OVER HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE WITH NO CHARGE, AND THEY TOOK FAMILIES IN AND HOUSED THEM, PAID THE UTILITIES, EVERYTHING. AND WHEN THE SCHOOL CAME IN, THEY OFFERED THEM $5 A SQUARE FOOT FOR THE LAND. AND THE PEOPLE TOLD 'EM, THEY SAID, THEY SENT ANOTHER PERSON LOOK LIKE ME. AND THEY SAID, YOU, THAT'S A GOOD DEAL. YOU SHOULD TAKE IT. AND HE SAID, I GOT MY REALTOR AND IT WAS ME. AND THE PRICE WENT UP TWICE, AND THEY GAVE THEM THE PRICE AND THEY DESERVED IT BECAUSE THEY PAID THEIR DUES IN THIS NEIGHBORHOOD AND THEY DID SO MUCH FOR THIS AREA. AND TO, SO WE ARE GRATEFUL BECAUSE CARDINAL NELSON, WE CAN LOOK BACK TODAY WHAT WE DID, THAT LITTLE SMALL PORTION. AND TODAY WE ARE BUILDING 40 NEW AFFORDABLE HOUSING FOR PEOPLE, IN PARTICULAR BLACK FOLKS WHO ARE OF COLOR, WHO DESERVE AND WANNA LIVE IN THEIR NEIGHBORHOOD. AND SO WE ARE GRATEFUL, AND I'M JUST SO PLEASED TO BE HERE TODAY FOR MY FRIEND MR. MAYBERRY. AND THEN I HAVE TO GIVE A SHOUT OUT TO JUDGE ETT BERNIE AND THEOLA PETTAWAY, BECAUSE THEY STARTED THIS REVITALIZATION FROM THIRD WARD TO MLK AND FROM MLK TO THE BOTTOM OF EMANCIPATION. AND IT WAS THEIR BRAINSTORM, AL DENITA DAVIS AND THIS ROUND AND TABLE OF FOLKS, THOSE OF US WHO REALLY BELIEVED THAT WE WANTED SOMETHING BETTER OUT OF THIS NEIGHBORHOOD. AND WE BELIEVED THAT WE WERE NOT GOING ANYWHERE ELSE BECAUSE WE, WE WANTED THIS NEIGHBORHOOD TO BE THE BEST AND WE WANTED TO HAVE THE SAME OPPORTUNITIES AND BENEFITS THAN ANY OTHER NEIGHBORHOOD IN HOUSTON. AND IT WAS BECAUSE OF US GETTING TOGETHER. AND SO I'M VERY PLEASED, MAYBERRY, I TOLD YOU TO TAKE THAT CAR BACK AND YOU DID. AND EVERY OTHER PERSON THAT I CAN TELL TO TAKE A CAR BACK TO BUY A HOME, I TELL HIM TO DO IT. SO I'M VERY PLEASED ABOUT IT. BUT THIS IS A GOOD RELATIONSHIP THAT WE'VE HAD. AND SO MANY TIMES IN THE AFRICAN AMERICAN COMMUNITY, YOU KNOW, IT SAID THAT WE CAN'T DO IT. WE CAN'T PARTNER UP. OH, YES, WE CAN. AND TODAY IS A PROVEN POINT THAT YES, WE CAN, WE ARE GIVING BACK TO OUR NEIGHBORHOOD. SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH, DANIELLE, I'M PLEASED WITH YOU. CAROL AZZ. CAROL AZZ, THANK YOU FOR YOUR WORK. AND THEN BARRY AND CATHERINE, AND THEN MY CONGRESSWOMAN. YES. YES. WHEN YOU CAN'T GET IT DONE NOW YOU, WE SHE IS WHO WE CALL. THAT'S RIGHT. THAT'S RIGHT. RIGHT. I DON'T CARE WHAT THEY SAY OR WHAT'S SUPPOSED TO BEING SAID. SHE DO SO MUCH FOR SO MANY. TELL I I I CALLED A, A PERSON THAT I WAS DEADLY SICK RECENTLY, NOW FROM ACRES HOME. MM-HMM . AND I, UH, HE SAID, I, I I RECEIVED WHAT YOU SENT US, AND IT WAS NEEDED. HE SAID BY, OH, BY THE WAY, OUR CONGRESSWOMAN WAS HERE LAST NIGHT. AND HE SAID IT GAVE HER LIFT THAT MADE HER FEEL MUCH BETTER THAN WHAT SHE WAS FEELING. LIKE. HE SAID, WE WERE GLAD TO RECEIVE WHAT YOU DID. AND I SAID, YOU KNOW WHAT? IT'S OURS. WE HAVE THE SAME HEART OF GIVING SOMETHING BACK TO OTHERS. AND SO, CONGRESSWOMAN, THANK YOU. KEEP DOING WHAT YOU'RE DOING AND WE LOVE YOU. YEAH. THANK YOU. THANK YOU MR. WOMACK. AND I WOULD LIKE TO ACKNOWLEDGE COUNCIL MEMBER THOMAS'S CHIEF OF STAFF SHERELL DUNCAN, WHO'S HERE. THANK YOU SO MUCH. OKAY. WE ARE NEARING THE END OF OUR PROGRAM, BUT WITH, WE CAN'T MOVE ON WITH TALK WITHOUT TALKING ABOUT THE PEOPLE WHO HAVE THE MONEY. THIS IS MY FAVORITE PART OF THE PROGRAM. [00:45:01] UM, SO NEXT WE HAVE MR. MARK MCGEE, WHO SERVES AS A SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT OF AM G BANK. HE HAS 40 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE IN BANKING, AND HALF OF THOSE YEARS HE HAS SPENT WITH AMEE. HE SPECIALIZES IN COMMUNITY RELATIONS, COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT, COMMERCIAL LENDING, AND THE COMMERCIAL LOAN PROCESS OPERATIONS, A NATIVE TEXAN AND A GRADUATE OF TEXAS A M UNIVERSITY CLASS OF 83 WITH A BACHELOR IN BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION. UM, BOTH HE USES FOR BUSINESS ANALYSIS AND MARKETING. IN 1992, HE GRADUATED FROM THE SOUTHWEST GRADUATE SCHOOL OF BANKING WITH HONORS. AND HE IS AN ACTIVE MEMBER OF THE COMMUNITY. HE SERVES AT THE AMERICAN HEART ASSOCIATION AND THE YMCA PARTNERS FOR YOUTH. SO WITHOUT FURTHER ADO, UM, AND LET ME SAY THIS, IF YOU KNOW MAYBERRY HOMES, YOU KNOW, MAYBERRY HOMES HAS ALWAYS HAD A RELATIONSHIP WITH IMAGING. I WAS STARTING TO THINK THEY WERE A LITTLE BIAS IN THAT. HE WAS ONE OF THEIR FAVORITES WHEN HE GOT THE COMMERCIAL I'M AT HOME AND SEE HIM ON THE COMMERCIAL. UM, BUT SPEAKING TO HIS TESTAMENT OF BEING ABLE TO BUILD IT REALLY STARTED WITH HAVING, UM, TRUSTED COMMUNITY LENDERS THAT WERE WILLING TO GIVE HIM AN OPPORTUNITY WHEN OTHERS WERE NOT. AND SO AM G IS A VERY BIG PART OF THE MAYBERRY HOME STORY. SO THANK YOU MR. MCGEE FOR BEING HERE. AND PLEASE, UM, WE WOULD LIKE TO HEAR FROM YOU NOW. THANK YOU. WELL, THANK YOU. IT'S SUCH A PRIVILEGE TO BE HERE AND REPRESENT THE BANK, UM, THROUGH EVERY DISTINGUISHED, UH, GUEST UP HERE. IT'S AN HONOR JUST TO BE ON THE STAGE WITH YOU. AND, UH, WE LOVE US FROM SHARON . WE HAVE A RELATIONSHIP. THE BANK'S ABOUT 33 YEARS OLD, AND, UH, SHARON'S BEEN A PART OF, UH, MOST OF THOSE YEARS, UH, AROUND THE BANK AND, UH, JUST SOUTHWEST BANK OF TEXAS. YEAH. SO ORIGINALLY SOUTHWEST BANK AM G SINCE OH FIVE. SO WE HAVE SUCH RESPECT FOR WHAT MAYBERRY HOME STANDS FOR. WHAT A GREAT STORY GIVING BACK TO THIS COMMUNITY, UH, THE INTEGRITY WITH WHICH YOU GO ABOUT YOUR BUSINESS AND YOUR STAFF, AND THE QUALITY OF HOME THAT IS BUILT. SOMEBODY ALLUDED TO RIVER OAK STANDARDS THE OTHER DAY. I MEAN, YOU, YOU COULD DRIVE THROUGH THE THIRD WARD NEIGHBORHOODS AND SEE THESE MABERRY HOMES. YOU CAN PICK 'EM OUT IMMEDIATELY. WATCH IT, WATCH IT. SO WE'RE PROUD TO BE ASSOCIATED WITH THAT. WE ALL KNOW WHAT A NEED AFFORDABLE HOUSING IS, ESPECIALLY WITH THE INFLATION, RISING INTEREST RATES, THE GROWTH IN THIS AREA, IT'S GREATER THAN EVER BEFORE. AND IT TAKES SUCH CREATIVITY. AND REALLY, ALL OF US, EVERYONE HERE HAS A PART OF BEING THE ANSWER TO SOLVE AFFORDABLE HOUSING. ALL THESE CREATIVE PROGRAMS, COMPLETE COMMUNITIES, UH, THE LAND TRUST, THE DOWN PAYMENT ASSISTANCE PROGRAM, ALL THESE THINGS ARE, ARE NON-PROFIT COMMUNITIES, THE CDCS AND OTHERS. WE ALL HAVE TO PARTNER AND GET CREATIVE, GET OUTSIDE THE BOX TO SOLVE THIS. LIKE ANY COMPLEX CHALLENGE, WHICH WE HAVE MANY IN A GREAT COMMUNITY LIKE THIS, AND A GREAT NATION LIKE THIS, UH, THE ONLY WAY YOU CAN MEASURE SUCCESS IS REALLY ONE, ONE VICTORY AT A TIME. 'CAUSE IT CAN BE OVERWHELMING IF YOU LOOK AT, TO ME, THE BIGGER PICTURE. SO, UM, WE'RE GLAD AS SHARON, UH, ALLUDED TO PROVIDE, IN THIS CASE THE, UH, UH, FINANCING TO GET THE INFRASTRUCTURE DONE HERE. WHAT YOU SEE GOING ON RIGHT NOW, AND THEN HOPEFULLY WILL BE THE BOOKEND ON A LOT OF 'EM, UH, TO PROVIDE THE PERMANENT MORTGAGE FOR THESE 40 FAMILIES AND BLESS THEM. AS A MATTER OF FACT, OMAR RODRIGUEZ IS STANDING RIGHT BACK THERE AT THE BACK. RAISE YOUR HAND. UH, WE, UH, HAVE A COMMITMENT TO AFFORDABLE HOUSING. WE HAVE ONE OF THE BEST IN CLASS AFFORDABLE MORTGAGE PROGRAMS, UH, IN THE MARKET. OMAR RUNS THAT TEAM. I HAVE THE PRIVILEGE OF SITTING BESIDE THEM, SEEING THEM EVERY DAY. AND THESE ARE, THESE ARE NOT EASY DEALS. IT TAKES A PASSION. UH, HIS TEAM, DAVID'S HERE FROM HIS TEAM AND OTHERS WORK HARD ON TO GET THESE ACROSS THE FINISH LINE AND HELP THESE PEOPLE WITH WHATEVER IT TAKES THEIR CREDIT, SAVING UP MONEY, UH, APPLYING FOR THESE PROGRAMS, YOU KNOW, JUST BRINGING THEM ACROSS THE FINISH LINE. SO I SEE THE COMMITMENT YOU HAVE EVERY DAY. AND, YOU KNOW, IN BANKING, THE GOLDEN MOMENTS ARE WHEN NEW BUSINESS COMES ABOUT, OPENING A NEW ACCOUNT, CLOSING ON A LOAN, HELPING PEOPLE REALIZE THEIR DREAM OR BUSINESSES AND NEW BUSINESS FOR THE BANK. AND THAT'S ALWAYS GREAT. BUT, UH, IF YOU, UH, WHICH I HAVE SET ACROSS AND SEE ONE OF THESE CLOSINGS WHERE THE KEYS ARE HANDED TO SOMEONE, UM, WHO MAYBE THEY HAD HOMELESSNESS IN THEIR BACKGROUND OR PERHAPS THEY WERE PART OF GENERATIONAL, UH, RENTERS WHO NEVER DREAMED THEY COULD, UH, YOU KNOW, OWN A HOME EMOTIONAL . [00:50:10] IT'S A WONDERFUL THING. SO WHY IS AM ENERGY HERE? WHY DO WE DO THIS? IT IS NOT BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, IT CHECKS SOME, UH, REGULATORY BOX. IT IS BECAUSE I'LL READ FROM OUR MISSION STATEMENT, UH, CREATE A CULTURE OF CARING BANKERS WHO SUPPORT THE GROWTH OF BUSINESSES, FAMILIES, AND THE COMMUNITIES WE SERVE. AND OUR CORE VALUES ARE, UH, KNOWING THAT EVERYONE COUNTS AND TO DO THE RIGHT THING, ALWAYS. SO, YOU KNOW, WHY ARE WE HERE? WHY ARE WE'VE BEEN HERE FOR WHY THREE YEARS? WHY WE CONTINUE TO BE HERE? IT'S 'CAUSE IT'S THE RIGHT THING TO DO. YEAH. THANK YOU, MARK. THAT WAS VERY TOUCHING AND IT SPEAKS VOLUMES TO WHY YOU ALL ARE DOING WHAT YOU DO. SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH. AND TO OUR NEXT LENDER AND COMMUNITY PARTNER, WE HAVE LIBERTY BANK, MR. KWANE STEWART. HE WAS BORN IN DALLAS IN 1972, BUT CLEARLY HIS PARENTS KNEW THAT THERE WAS A GREATER FUTURE FOR HIM HERE IN HOUSTON. SO THE NEXT YEAR, 1973, THEY BROUGHT HIM HERE QUICKLY, UM, TO THE HOUSTON AREA, AND HE'S BEEN HERE EVER SINCE. HE IS A GRADUATE OF ALE, SIC HIGH SCHOOL, DISTRICT F WHERE COUNCIL MEMBER THOMAS REPRESENTS. HE IS A GRADUATE OF THE UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON, A FELLOW COOG TO MAYOR TURNER. AND HE'S BEEN IN THE BANKING INDUSTRY SINCE 1997. UM, AND HE SERVES CURRENTLY AS A COMMERCIAL LENDING AND ASSISTANT VICE PRESIDENT FOR HOUSTON AT LIBERTY BANK. ONE OF THE THINGS THAT HE INCLUDED IN HIS BIO, WHICH I LOVE 'CAUSE I KEEP A MA STORY ABOUT MY MOTHER AND EVERYTHING THAT I DO. HE SAID THAT HIS MOTHER IS A TEXAS SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY GRADUATE FROM THE CLASS OF 1972, WHERE SHE WAS ON A FULL MUSIC SCHOLARSHIP WITH THE OCEAN OF SOUL. UM, SO WE CAN APPRECIATE THAT HERE IN THIRD WARD. UM, WHILE HE HAS OVER 25 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE IN THE FINANCIAL SERVICES INDUSTRY, HE ALSO SERVES AS A VOLUNTEER AT, AT THE JUNIOR ACHIEVEMENT UNITED WAY, HABITAT FOR HUMANITY AND U UNCS. WITHOUT FURTHER ADO, PLEASE WELCOME MR. KWANE STEWART. GOOD AFTERNOON. THANK YOU EVERYBODY FOR BEING OUT HERE. AND, UH, ALSO WANT TO START BY THANKING GOD FOR ALLOWING ALL OF US TO BE FACE TO FACE AFTER THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS OF TEAMS CALLS AND ZOOM CALLS AND EMAILS. SO, UH, SO I WANT TO THANK GOD FOR, FOR THAT. UH, I'LL START WITH WITH, UH, MR. MAYBERRY. UH, MY FIRST PHONE CONVERSATION WITH HIM BACK IN, UH, I BELIEVE IT WAS OCTOBER, UH, ONE AFTERNOON I WAS ABOUT TO LEAVE FOR THE DAY IN AND GOT A CALL FROM, FROM MR. MAYBERRY, AND HE TOLD ME ABOUT THIS PROJECT THAT WAS GOING TO CHANGE THE GAME IN THIRD WAR. I SAID, WELL, WHAT, WHAT, WHAT DO YOU, WHAT DO YOU MEAN CHANGE THE GAME? WELL, THIS IS WHAT WE WANT TO DO, QUA, LISTEN, LISTEN, THIS IS WHAT WE WANT TO DO. AND I KNOW YOU THE GUY TO DO IT, BABY . SO, SO I ASKED AROUND AND I, I GOT A CALL, A A MUTUAL FRIEND OF THE BANK, UH, REFERRED HIM, REFERRED HIM TO US. AND, UH, HE SAID THAT WHEN I ASKED ABOUT THIS PROJECT AND WHO, WHO CAN, WHO CAN PUT SOME FUNDS BEHIND IT, LIBERTY BANK WAS MENTIONED. SO FAST FORWARD, UH, WE TALKED WITH, I GUESS ABOUT THREE TO FIVE MINUTES. HE SAID, OH, YOU, SO YOU GREW UP IN HOUSTON. WHAT HIGH SCHOOL DID YOU GO TO? ELSIE? OH, WE USED TO WASH Y'ALL BOYS. YEAH, YEAH. YOU REMEMBER ABOUT US YATES BOYS. SO THAT WAS KIND OF OUR FIRST INTRODUCTION. AND UH, I KNEW RIGHT THEN THIS WAS A MAN WHO CARES ABOUT PEOPLE. BECAUSE IN THE BANKING, WHEN YOU HAVE CONVERSATIONS, YOU DON'T TAKE IT THAT, UH, PERSONAL RIGHT OFF OF THE BAT. YOU KIND OF FEEL EACH OTHER OUT. WELL, WHAT IS, WHAT CAN YOU DO FOR ME? WELL, HOW MUCH DO YOU NEED? HOW MUCH DO YOU HAVE? UM, I SAY, MR. MAYBERRY IS ALL ABOUT PEOPLE. AND EVEN AFTER THE, AND I, I'LL TELL YOU A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT LIBERTY BANK, BUT I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT FOR ME TO SHARE, UM, WHO THIS MAN IS AND WHAT HE'S ABOUT AS HIS TEAM AS WELL. UM, ONCE WE HAD FUNDING SECURED AND COMPLETED, EVERYTHING WAS DONE, SIGNATURES, ALL OF THAT. UM, IT WAS THE DAY BEFORE THANKSGIVING. AND ALTHOUGH LIBERTY BANK, AND I'M KIND OF SKIPPING AROUND A LITTLE BIT, WE'RE BASED IN HEADQUARTERED OUT OF NEW ORLEANS, AND WE HAVE THE DIRECTOR OF THE COMMERCIAL BANKING, SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT DRIVE INTO TOWN. SHARON FOUND OUT HE WAS AT THE OFFICE, I'M COMING OVER THERE, PICK Y'ALL UP, BABY, BE READY. I'LL BE THERE IN FIVE MINUTES. PICKED US UP, PICKED [00:55:01] US UP, AND, UH, HE SAID, WELL, Y'ALL WANNA DO, GRAB SOME LUNCH OR YOU WANT TO. BUT THE WHOLE, UH, PREMISE OF THAT STORY IS HE TOOK US TO THE COMMUNITY BECAUSE HE FELT IT WAS IMPORTANT FOR US NOT TO JUST KNOW ABOUT SOUTHERN PALM, BUT TO KNOW ABOUT THE IMPACT THAT MAYBERRY HOMES IS MAKING IN THE ENTIRE COMMUNITY. SO THAT, THAT, I THINK, AND I MEAN, WE PASSED BY A COUPLE OF PLACES AND PICKED UP SOME, UH, UH, THANKSGIVING, UH, THANKSGIVING FOOD THEY WERE HANDING OUT, OH, MAYBERRY, COME GET 'EM MAYBERRY. SO, BUT THAT WAS IMPORTANT TO KNOW, UM, AS A BANKER TO ACTUALLY GO OUT INTO THE COMMUNITY THAT, UH, I, I'LL END IT WITH THIS ON AS FAR AS AS MR. MAYBERRY, THAT WAS THE FIRST TIME THAT I'D ACTUALLY BEEN OUT IN THE COMMUNITY, UH, 'CAUSE OF COD AND, AND IN WORK AND PROBABLY TWO YEARS. AND I SHARED THAT WITH HIM AND HE SAID, OH, NO, NO, WE GONNA GET YOU OUT THE OFFICE, BABY. YOU, YOU NEED TO SEE WHAT'S GOING. AND, AND THAT WAS REALLY TELLING TO ME TO ACTUALLY SEE EVERYTHING THAT IS HAPPENING AROUND THIRD WARD AND MY ALMA MATER AS WELL AS JACKIE YATES. UM, SO I'LL GO BACK. LIBERTY BANK, WE ARE HEADQUARTERED IN NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA, AND WE ARE IN 11 STATES AND WE HAVE 15 BRANCHES. THE MAJORITY OF OUR BRANCHES ARE IN THE COMMUNITY. WE DO NOT HAVE ANY BRANCHES IN THE TEXAS MARKET. SO WHEN IT COMES TO, UH, WELL HOW CAN YOU PUT A DEAL TOGETHER LIKE THIS AND YOU DON'T EVEN HAVE A RETAIL PRESENCE, THAT JUST SPEAKS TO THE DEDICATION OF OUR BOARD, OF OUR PRESIDENT, AND OF OUR EMPLOYEES AT LIBERTY BANK, AND THAT WE REALLY, TRULY WANT TO INVEST IN THE COMMUNITIES. ONE THING THAT I WILL SHARE TO TOOT THE HORN OF HOUSTON IS ALONG IN LEADING WITH THE FIRST PROJECT OF THIS SIZE, UH, FOR THE YEAR, UH, MAYBERRY HOMES, THIS IS, UH, ONE OF THE, THE LARGEST, UH, THE HOUSTON MARKET IS ONE OF THE LARGEST PRODUCTION, UH, FROM A COMMERCIAL LENDING STANDPOINT IN ALL OF LIBERTY BANK. SO WITH BRANCHES IN CHICAGO, BRANCHES IN ST. LOUIS, KANSAS CITY, UH, ALABAMA, UH, MEMPHIS, WE PUT MORE DOLLARS INTO NEW CONSTRUCTION AND AFFORDABLE HOMES AND MINORITY OWNED BUSINESSES IN HOUSTON THAN IN ANY OTHER PLACE IN THE COUNTRY. AND I SHARE THAT TO SAY THAT IT'S ALL OF THESE PEOPLE HERE THAT MAKE THAT, THAT MAKE THAT HAPPEN. AND WITHOUT BORING YOU TOO MUCH, WHEN YOU PRESENT A A DEVELOPMENT LIKE THIS TO A BOARD OF DIRECTORS, THE ONES WHO ARE GOING TO GIVE THE APPROVAL AND TO LET THE MONEY GO OUT THE DOOR, IT HAS TO BE NOT ONLY A, A STRONG DEVELOPMENT, BUT IT HAS TO BE A STRONG PERSON BEHIND IT. SO EVERY PROJECT LIKE THIS STARTS WITH ONE PERSON. AND AS OF THIS BEING DISTRICT D I'LL SAY, WHEN COUNCIL MEMBER MENTIONED DESTINATION, WORKING WITH SHARON IS NOT ABOUT THE JOURNEY. HE'S FOCUSED ON THE DESTINATION AND HE RELIES ON EVERYBODY ELSE TO KEEP THE JOURNEY MOVING . BUT, UH, WITH, WITH, WITH THAT BEING SAID, THIS IS ONE PART OF THE JOURNEY AS WE WORK TO THE DESTINATION TOWARDS THE MAYOR'S 3000 HOMES, BUT ALSO SETTING A BAR FOR THE REST OF THE COUNTRY AS WHAT WE CAN DO IN HOUSTON, SEEING THE DIFFERENT THINGS HAPPEN IN DIFFERENT PARTS OF THE CITY. BUT FOR THIS TO HAPPEN RIGHT HERE AND FOR FAMILIES TO BE ABLE TO HOP ON A, A MONO RAIL, METRO RAIL AND GO TO HIGH SCHOOL, GO TO COLLEGE, GO TO WORK DOWNTOWN, TO GO TO A SPORTING EVENT, TO GO TO, UH, JONES HALL, AND THAT'S A HUGE, HUGE THING. SO, UH, WE REALLY APPRECIATED, UH, THE OPPORTUNITY TO PARTICIPATE WITH, WITH AMGE, AND THEY'VE BEEN GREAT PARTNERS WITH US AS WELL. AND IF, UH, I'LL TELL YOU, SHARON HAS BEEN KIND OF THE GLUE TO MAKE SURE LIBERTY'S ON THE PHONE, HE GETS AMITY'S ON THE PHONE, ALL THREE OF US ON THE PHONE. SO, UM, ON BEHALF OF THE PRESIDENT OF LIBERTY BANK, UH, TODD MCDONALD AND THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER OF THE BANK, ALDEN JAY MCDONALD, AND THE CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD, UH, DR. FRANCIS, I APPRECIATE YOU ALL BEING HERE. AND I'LL LAST, UH, SAY ONE LAST THING. I DON'T KNOW IF YOU HEARD OF HAROLD DOLEY, UH, JUNIOR BEFORE, UM, AND MAYBE YOU CAN LOOK HIM UP OR GOOGLE HIM, BUT IN 1973, HE'S A NEW ORLEANS NATIVE. IN 1973, HE WAS THE FIRST BLACK AFRICAN AMERICAN MAN TO PURCHASE A SEAT ON THE NEW YORK STOCK EXCHANGE. AND LIBERTY BANK PARTICIPATED WITH THE FUNDING TO GIVE HIM THE ABILITY TO PURCHASE THAT SEAT. I, [01:00:02] WITH THIS BEING OUR 50TH YEAR AS A, UH, AS A WAY TO, TO RECOGNIZE HIM, THE NEW YORK STOCK EXCHANGE LAST YEAR, UH, FOR THE CLOSING BELL, ALL OF THE EXECUTIVES FOR LIBERTY BANK AS WELL AS MR. DOLEY, UH, RANG THE CLOSING BELL, UH, FOR THE NEW YORK STOCK EXCHANGE. SO JUST AS THAT BEING A DESTINATION AND LOOKING AT WHAT SOUTHERN PALM IS NOW, I WOULD LOOK AT 30, 40, 50 YEARS FROM NOW HAVING A SIGNIFICANT IMPACT AS WE DID WITH MR. DOLEY AS WELL. THANK YOU SO MUCH. YEAH. THANK, THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. AND SO, OUR LAST PARTNER WHO WILL BE SPEAKING ON BEHALF OF THE MIDTOWN REDEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY AND C-C-P-P-I HAS BEEN A PRACTICING ATTORNEY FOR 49 YEARS. UM, VERY YOUNG, YOUNG LADY, UM, AND SHE IS ALSO THE HOUSING PROGRAM MANAGER FOR C-C-P-P-I. SHE WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT I MENTIONED THAT SHE IS FROM THE CLASS OF 1967 OF WHEATLEY HIGH SCHOOL, PHYLLIS WHEATLEY HIGH SCHOOL, A PROUD ALUM, AND THAT SHE WAS BORN ON LINES AVENUE. SO WITHOUT FURTHER ADO, PLEASE WELCOME MS. ALGIN SCOTT DAVIS. I'VE ALREADY BEEN WARNED TO BE BRIEF . UH, IT IS MY PLEASURE TO REPRESENT THE MIDTOWN REDEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY. THE AUTHORITY IS CHAIRED BY AL ODOM AND THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR IS MATT TIDO. BUT THE REAL ACTIVE AND ENTHUSIASTIC AND VERY HARDWORKING REAL ESTATE DIRECTOR IS DEFINITELY TODD EDWARDS. YEAH. HE IS THE ONE WHO I'M, I'M PLEASED TO REPRESENT TODAY. AND SO I WOULD LIKE FOR THOSE WHO ARE WITH C-C-P-P-I, MIDTOWN REDEVELOPMENT THIRD, WILL YOU ALL PLEASE STAND? THANK YOU SO MUCH. AND MAYOR AND CONGRESSWOMAN, I JUST WANTED TO SAY THIS, THAT THIS IS A HALLELUJAH MOMENT. THIS IS A HALLELUJAH MOMENT. IT IS DEFINITELY NO ACCIDENT THAT WHILE A NATIONALLY KNOWN MUSICAL SOUND ENGINEER WHO WAS COMING TO WORK FOR THE CITY OF HOUSTON HOUSING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT AT THAT TIME, THAT THERE WAS A CHURCH THAT HAD COME TO HOUSTON AND CARDINAL, WE CANNOT THANK YOU ENOUGH FOR WHAT THE SHRINE OF THE BLACK MADONNA HAS DONE FOR THIS COMMUNITY. THIS IS NO ACCIDENT. AND WHILE HE WAS COMING, THEY WERE PURCHASING THIS AREA THAT WAS IN TRANSITION, AND THEY WANTED TO ASSURE THAT THIS WILL BE A HOUSING OPPORTUNITY. THIS IS A HALLELUJAH MOMENT. WHILE WE HAVE THIS MAYOR AT THIS TIME WHO DECIDED I'M GONNA PUT AFFORDABLE HOUSING ON THE GROUND AND DO SO WITH A GOAL, CREATE A PROGRAM, A LARGE DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM, WHERE THERE WOULD BE AFFORDABLE HOUSING THAT WOULD ALLOW INDIVIDUALS TO ACCUMULATE WEALTH AND OWN THEIR OWN HOMES. THIS IS A HALLELUJAH MOMENT, MA'AM. THIS IS HALLELUJAH MOMENT. THIS IS, THIS IS NO INCIDENT. WHAT, THIS IS NO ACCIDENT WHATSOEVER THAT YOU WOULD HAVE A DEVELOPER MAYBERRY, WHO THANK GOODNESS HE TURNED THE CAR BACK IN, WOULD, WOULD ACTUALLY BE ABLE TO PASS THROUGH THE TREMENDOUS NUMBER OF HURDLES THAT WOULD BE REQUIRED TO COMPLY WITH THE PROGRAM OF THIS NATURE. IT TAKES A WHOLE LOT TO GET THIS DONE. IT'S NO ACCIDENT. THIS IS, THIS IS A LOT OF INFRASTRUCTURE THAT HAS TO BE DONE. AND INFRASTRUCTURE IS, IS THE KEY THAT ANYTIME YOU CAN DO INFRASTRUCTURE IN HOUSTON, YOU NEED TO SAY HALLELUJAH, BECAUSE IT'S A WHOLE LOT THAT THAT TAKES TO GET THIS DONE. AND WE ARE ACTUALLY HERE TO CELEBRATE THIS. I DIDN'T WANNA BE LONG, BUT I JUST HAD TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE FACT THAT ALL OF THIS WAS NO ACCIDENT. THIS WAS A COMING TOGETHER THAT WAS PROVIDENTIAL. AND I THANK GOD FOR IT. AND HALLELUJAH FOR THE GROUNDBREAKING FOR SOUTHERN. THANK YOU. LISTEN, LEMME CRAWL ON HER SHOULDER WITH SOME PHONE CALLS, . ALL RIGHT. ALL RIGHT. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU EVERYONE FOR BEING HERE. MY NAME IS ASHLEY MAYBERRY, AND I JUST WANNA SAY I'M EXTREMELY HONORED AND PLEASURE TO SHARE THE STAGE WITH OUR SPECIAL GUESTS. IF WE COULD HAVE ONE MORE ROUND OF APPLAUSE. AND, AND THANK YOU AGAIN, DAD, [01:05:01] FOR TURNING IN THE MERCEDES. I, I'VE HEARD THAT STORY VERY, VERY MANY TIMES. UM, AND IF YOU GUYS HAVE NOT, IT IS OUT THERE ON YOUTUBE, SO YOU CAN GO AND CHECK, CHECK THAT OUT AS WELL. UM, SO BEFORE WE END WITH OUR CLOSING REMARKS, AGAIN, UM, JUST A SPECIAL THANK YOU TO ALL OF OUR COMMUNITY PARTNERS, CONGRESSWOMAN AND MAYOR TURNER. THANK YOU FOR THE WORK THAT YOU CONTINUE TO DO. SO NOW I KNOW YOU GUYS ARE PROBABLY HUNGRY, SO WE DEFINITELY HAVE SOME AMAZING LUNCH BACK HERE FOR YOU. UM, AND WANNA GIVE A HUGE SHOUT OUT TO OUR CATERERS, MR. BYRON BRYANT, UM, FOR NOOKIE'S CATERING. UM, SO THANK YOU FOR THAT. AND DEFINITELY, I KNOW YOU GUYS KNOW HIM AS MAYBERRY OR SHARON, BUT I KNOW HIM AS DAD OR DADDY. AND I JUST WANNA SAY THANK YOU, DAD. I'M EXTREMELY PROUD OF YOU. THIS WAS AN AMAZING TURNOUT AND I AM JUST ELATED TO BE HERE. SO WE ARE GONNA ALSO, BEFORE WE, UM, EXIT EVERYONE AND WE HAVE LUNCH, WE ARE GOING TO HEAD OVER TO THE ACTUAL GROUNDBREAKING CEREMONY. SO IF WE COULD JUST, WE CAN MAKE OUR WAY BACK THERE. THE SETUP SHOULD BE READY. AND THEN PLEASE, DEFINITELY HELP YOURSELF TO SOME LUNCH. OKAY. THANK YOU EVERYONE. OKAY, GREAT. * 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.