* 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. [00:00:18] I AM TRAVIS LEMONS, AND AS YOU CAN SEE, WE ARE ON LOCATION AT POST HOUSTON. THE RODEO'S OVER BASEBALL SEASON IS HERE AND HOUSTON'S EAST SIDE IS ABOUT TO BECOME A CONVICTION CENTER GAME CHANGER. TODAY WE HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO TALK ABOUT HOUSTON'S VITALITY. YOU KNOW, CHEVRON BRINGS ITS CORPORATE HEADQUARTERS TO DOWNTOWN APPLE ANNOUNCED TWO WEEKS AGO, THEY'RE COMING TO HOUSTON. THE WORD IS OUT. HOUSTON'S ECONOMY IS STRONG. THIS VISION THAT IS GOING TO BE DISPLAYED TODAY IS A GAME CHANGER. WE ARE PROUD TO ANNOUNCE THE VISION OF A MASTER PLAN DESIGNED TO ELEVATE HOUSTON TODAY AND BUILD FOR TOMORROW. WE HAVE A CHANCE TO DO SOMETHING TRULY TRANSFORMATIVE WITH THE DEVELOPMENT THAT WE ARE UNVEILING TODAY. NOBODY IN AMERICA, IN FACT, THE CONSTRUCTION COMPANY SAYS IT'S NOT BEING DONE ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD. TO THE LEVEL AND SUCCESS THAT THIS PRESENTS US DESIGNED TO BE UNIQUELY HOUSTON, FLEXIBLE SPACES WILL BE INSPIRED BY NATURE TO THE HISPANIC PROUD EAST SIDE COMMUNITY. THIS IS YOUR DAY. WE'LL HAVE THE GREEN SPACE. WE'RE GONNA OPEN UP THE EAST SIDE ENTRANCE TO GEORGE BROWN. WE'RE, WE'RE ALL IN THIS TOGETHER AND IT'S SOMETHING TO BE PROUD OF AND EXCITING. THIS IS A MOVEMENT AND A BOLD VISION. THE FUTURE OF HOUSTON STARTS NOW. THAT PACKAGE WAS THE PERFECT LEAD IN BECAUSE HER NEXT STORY, WE HAVE MCKITH DOWELL WITH, UH, HOUSTON FIRST BACK AGAIN ON CITY PULSE. AND SO WE SAW YOUR BOSS, MICHAEL HECKMAN, TALK ABOUT THE EXPANSION OF THE GEORGIA BROWN CONVENTION CENTER AND THE UH, CONVENTION DISTRICT GOING ON THERE. AND WITH H TOWN GETTING CHEVRON AND APPLE AS BUSINESSES IN HOUSTON. HOUSTON FIRST HAS GOTTA BE PRETTY EXCITED. OH YES, DEFINITELY. WITH THE CONTINUED EXPANSION OF THIS CITY, HOUSTON FIRST IS VERY EXCITED TO BE PROMOTING ALL THAT'S GOING ON AND ALL THAT'S HAPPENING. SO THIS MAY COME AS A SHOCK. THIS IS MY FIRST TIME IN POST HOUSTON AND I FEEL LIKE I'M LESS OF HOUSTONIAN FOR NEVER SITTING FOOT INSIDE OF HERE. I DON'T WANNA AGREE, BUT I MIGHT HAVE TO . UM, SO WITH IT BEING SPRINGTIME NOW, PEOPLE GETTING OUT AND ABOUT WHAT CAN PEOPLE EXPECT HERE AT POST HOUSTON? YEAH, SO POST HOUSTON, UM, IF YOU'RE NOT FAMILIAR, IS AN OLD POST OFFICE DISTRIBUTION CENTER. IT WAS THE FIRST POST OFFICE THAT SERVICED THE ENTIRE CITY. AND SO TODAY WE KNOW IT AS, UM, A MECCA OF ALL DIFFERENT SORTS OF THINGS GOING ON. SO WE'VE GOT HERE, UM, THE ARC CAR PARADE IS ON DISPLAY, GETTING READY FOR THE ACTUAL EVENT THAT IS TO HAPPEN ON APRIL 12TH. IT'S GOING TO GO FROM ALLEN PARKWAY INTO DOWNTOWN AND IT'LL BE APPROXIMATELY TWO HOURS. IT'S A COMPLETELY FREE EVENT AND ITS FESTIVITIES START AT 11:00 AM AND YOU'LL BE ABLE TO HAVE SOME FOOD TRUCKS GET YOUR SPOT ON THE PARADE ROUTE AND ALSO GO TO THE STARTING LINE AND ENJOY ALL OF THE CARS THAT ARE GETTING READY TO TAKE THEIR THREE MILE LOOP. AND AS THE LARGEST ART CAR PARADE IN THE STATE AND MAYBE THE WORLD AND TAKING A, A LOOP AROUND TOWN, THAT'S NOT THE ONLY LOOPS THAT PEOPLE CAN BE TAKING BECAUSE I UNDERSTAND THE, UH, TOUR OF HOUSTON IS RIGHT UPON US. RIGHT, RIGHT. SO THE FOLLOWING DAY, ACTUALLY, IT'S A BIG WEEKEND FOR HOUSTON ON APRIL 13TH AT AROUND 8:00 AM THE CYCLISTS WILL BEGIN THEIR, UH, ROUTE AROUND THE CITY AND ACTUALLY THIS YEAR THEY'RE UNVEILING THE NEWEST ROUTE THAT GOES WEST. AND SO CYCLISTS WILL BE ABLE TO SEE A VERY UNIQUE SIDE OF HOUSTON IN THE SADDLE. AND THEY ALSO BROUGHT IN A NEW, UH, LENGTH OF RACE. SO THERE'S HISTORICALLY BEEN THE 20 AND THE 45 MILER. THIS YEAR THEY ADDED 10 MILES SO THAT ANYONE WHO WANTS TO JOIN IN REGARDLESS OF AGE AND ABILITY HAVE THE OPTION. OKAY, TWO MORE THINGS. THE SKATE PARK AT DISCOVERY GREEN. YES. AND WHAT, BESIDES THE SKATE PARK, WHAT IS AT TOP OF POST HOUSTON? OKAY, SO YOU, BEING THIS, YOUR FIRST TIME HERE, I HAVE TO TELL YOU A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT POST. SO THE TOP OF POST HOUSTON HAS A FIVE ACRE URBAN GARDEN THAT THEY'RE, UM, GROWING PRODUCE AND DIFFERENT TYPES OF PLANTS [00:05:01] THAT ACTUALLY IN THE MARKET AT POST HOUSTON, THEY ARE USING AS INGREDIENTS. SO WHEN YOU GO TO THE MARKET OVER FROM WHERE WE'RE STANDING, THERE'S UH, MANY DIFFERENT TYPES OF FOOD. IT'S A MELTING POT OF THE CULTURES IN HOUSTON, WHICH WE GET TO ENJOY VIA OUR TASTE BUDS AND AS WELL AS, UM, THE NEWLY OPENED ART CLUB. SO THAT HAS 13 IMMERSIVE ART EXHIBITS AND YOU'LL BE ABLE TO GO THROUGH AND JUST COMPLETELY, UM, ENJOY A HOLISTIC ART EXPERIENCE. SO LOTS OF FUN STUFF FOR HOUSTONIANS TO DO AND YOU KNOW, OUTTA TOWNERS AS WELL. YES. AND SO, OH, AND I WOULD BE REMISS IF I DIDN'T TOUCH ON THE ROLLER RINK, AS YOU SAID. SO WHEN YOU'RE DONE CYCLING AFTER TOR TO HOUSTON, OR YOU ARE WANTING TO GO AND GET YOUR ROLLER SKATING ON AFTER THE ARC CAR PARADE, HEAD TO DISCOVERY GREEN, WHICH IS THE STARTING AND FINISH LINE OF TOR OF HOUSTON AND PUT ON YOUR ROLLER SKATES. IT'S EVERY DAY UNTIL APRIL 13TH, $14. THAT INCLUDES ROLLER SKATING RENTALS AND YOU GET A BUY ONE GET ONE TICKET ON TUESDAYS. SO FROM NOW UNTIL MID TO APRIL, YOU GUYS KNOW WHERE TO GO. ALRIGHT, THANK YOU FOR THAT. ALL THOSE GREAT ANNOUNCEMENTS, MCKENNA? YES, OF COURSE. THANK YOU. ALRIGHT, NOW LET'S SEE WHAT COUNCILMAN JOAQUIN MARTINEZ IS DOING IN HIS DISTRICT TO HELP JUVENILES. JUVENILE RIGHTS IS FOCUSED ON ADVOCATING FOR YOUNG PEOPLE FACING CHALLENGES OF JUVENILE JUSTICE, CHILD WELFARE, IMMIGRATION, AND HOMELESSNESS. THE WHOLE COALITION MATTERS GREATLY BECAUSE PROBLEM THAT WE'RE FACING IS LITERALLY HAS TO BE FOUGHT ON MORE THAN ONE FRONT. WE WANNA REDUCE THE, THE ABILITY TO REOFFEND. SO YOU GOTTA PUT PEOPLE IN PLACE WITH THOSE YOUNG PEOPLE THAT NEED THAT SERVICE. IT NEEDS TO BE FOUGHT IN THE SYSTEM. IT NEEDS TO BE FOUGHT IN THESE INCARCERATION FACILITIES. THIS BATTLE CAN'T BE WON IF WE JUST FIGHTING IT ONE WAY. IT'S TOO BIG. IT MEANS SO MUCH TO ME BECAUSE I WAS A JUVENILE IMPACTED BY THE SYSTEM AND, UH, I JUST WANTED TO GIVE BACK. THE RECOVER PROGRAM IS A GROUP OF YOUNG, BLACK AND BROWN MEN THAT UNDERSTAND THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THEIR ROLE TO MAKE SURE THAT THERE'S MENTORSHIPS, MAKE SURE THAT THERE'S PROGRAMS AND RECOVER ISN'T ABOUT BEING REACTIVE TO BAD DECISIONS THAT YOU MAKE, BUT BEING PROACTIVE TO PREVENT, ALSO TO SUPERSEDE ANY NEGATIVE THOUGHTS, BUT ALSO TO PUSH A LOT OF THESE INDIVIDUALS FORWARD JUST BY HAVING SOMEBODY TO BELIEVE IN THEM AND BASICALLY UNDERSTAND WHAT THEY'RE GOING THROUGH AND UNDERSTAND WHAT THEY'RE BEEN THROUGH. AND JUST LET THEM KNOW THAT THEIR LIFE NOT OVER. THEY DEFINITELY HAVE A FUTURE. AND, UH, WE HERE TO SUPPORT THEM IN ANY WAY WE CAN. THE EXPOSURE, THE, THE TUTORIALS, THE TEACHING IS GONNA IMMENSELY CHANGE THEIR LIVES. WE NEED TO TAKE A QUICK BREAK, BUT WHEN CITY PULSE RETURNS, IT WILL BE DESTINATION TOKYO. FOR HOUSTON AIR TRAVEL IN HOUSTON, WE FEED OFF INSPIRATION. EVERYTHING WE DO SEE AND FEEL IS CONNECTED. GUESS YOU COULD SAY OUR SECRET INGREDIENT IS TOGETHER BECAUSE TOGETHER MAKES IT AMAZING. AND WE'RE BACK WITH MORE CITY PULSE. SPRING HAS SPRUNG AND THE BLOSSOMS ARE BLOSSOMING. BUT IF YOU WANNA SEE THE BEST CHERRY BLOSSOMS, YOU NEED TO HEAD TO TOKYO. NOW YOU CAN WITH ZIP AIR DIRECT FLIGHT FROM HOUSTON FOUR TIMES A WEEK. EVERYONE THAT'S HERE TODAY, THIS IS HISTORY. YOU NEED TO REMEMBER WHERE YOU WERE THIS DAY. THAT ZI AIRLINE, IT LAUNCHED ITS DIRECT FLIGHT TO TOKYO. THIS FLIGHT IS WORTH, UH, YOU KNOW, MILLIONS OF DOLLARS TO THE ECONOMY AROUND HERE. HOUSTON AIRPORT SYSTEM. IT IS RESPONSIBLE FOR ABOUT $40 BILLION IN ANNUAL ECONOMIC ACTIVITY AND ABOUT 200,000 JOBS. AND SO, AS WE THINK ABOUT ADDING NEW FLIGHTS AT THE AIRPORT, THIS IS A VERY IMPORTANT STEP BY ADDING A NEW AIRLINE. UM, AND AGAIN WITH A DESTINATION. THIS IS OUR FIRST LOW COST INTERNATIONAL LONG HAUL CARRIER. I WOULD LIKE TO SEND OUR SINCERE GRATITUDE TO EACH ONE OF YOU. AND THROUGH OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH THE CITY OF HOUSTON, WE ARE CONFIDENT THIS WILL PROVIDE A, UH, VARIABLE RING FOR COMMERCIAL AND CULTURAL EXCHANGE BETWEEN THE UNITED STATES AND JAPAN. A GROWING NUMBER OF JAPANESE COMPANIES ARE ESTABLISHING OFFICES AND PLANS IN THE HUONG METRO AREA AND THROUGH TEXAS, THROUGHOUT TEXAS, INCREASINGLY BY MORE THAN 50% OF OVER THE PAST 10 YEARS, WE WILL HELP OUR CULTURAL EXCHANGE, OUR ECONOMY. CERTAINLY I GET TO USE OUR PORT, OUR MED CENTER, OUR SPACE PORT. SO EVERYTHING WE HAVE TO OFFER IS [00:10:01] NOW IN YOUR HANDS. SO WE'RE VERY PROUD OF, OF, YOU KNOW, YOU CHOOSING THE HOUSTON AIRPORT SYSTEM, UH, AND THE CITY OF HOUSTON TO BE ABLE TO, TO BRING THIS FLIGHT TO US. UH, 'CAUSE AGAIN, IT'S A, A GREAT BENEFIT TO US, UH, OF, YOU KNOW, BOTH CULTURALLY AND UH, ECONOMICALLY. FOR WOMEN'S HISTORY MONTH, I TESTED YOUR KNOWLEDGE OF FAMOUS LADIES. NOW IT'S TIME FOR ANOTHER TEST. THIS TIME HOUSTON HISTORY. HOPEFULLY YOU GOT A PERFECT SCORE. IF NOT, I'M SURE YOU HAVE A NICE ICEBREAKER TO TRY OUT AT THE NEXT PARTY YOU GO TO. BEFORE WE GO, I WANTED TO SHARE A STORY. HOUSTON PARKS AND RECREATION DID REMEMBERING CONGRESSMAN AND FORMER HOUSTON MAYORS SYL, LESTER TURNER AND WHAT HE DID FOR HOUSTON PARKS. THE LOVE OUR PARKS, COMPLETE COMMUNITIES INITIATIVE IS ONE WAY. I'M TRYING TO MORE EQUITABLY INVEST IN PARKS ALL OVER THE CITY. SYLVESTER TURNER WAS A MAN OF THE PEOPLE HE WAS BORN. AN AKER'S HOME, WENT ON TO EARN A LAW DEGREE FROM HARVARD, BUT HE NEVER FORGOT WHERE HE CAME FROM. AND WHAT WAS SPECIAL ABOUT SYLVESTER, HE HAD THAT CAN-DO ATTITUDE THAT SO MANY OF US PRESENT HAVE. HE WOULD WORK WITH ANYONE FOR THE BENEFIT OF HIS COMMUNITY. SYLVESTER HAD A SERVANT'S HEART AND HE PROVED IT AS A TEXAS STATE CONGRESSMAN. HE ALSO UNDERSTOOD, AND I LEARNED FROM HIM, THAT WE CAN DISAGREE WITHOUT BEING DISAGREEABLE. AS HOUSTON'S MAYOR, THE MAYOR HAS BEEN SO WONDERFUL TO US IN TERMS OF STAFF, IN TERMS OF PARKS DEPARTMENT, AND SO SUPPORTIVE. WE WANTED TO DO SOMETHING TO HONOR HIM AND HIS WORK. SO WE WANTED TO PLANT A LEGACY TREE THAT WILL BE HERE FOR YEARS TO COME. AND FINALLY, AS A US CONGRESSMAN, AS WE STAND ON THE STEPS OF CITY GOVERNMENT, SYLVESTER KNEW EACH AND EVERY COMMUNITY AND HE TREATED EVERYONE WITH EQUALITY AND INCLUSION. THAT'S WHAT MADE HIM REALLY SPECIAL. ALL ALONG THE WAY, HE TOOK TIME TO ENGAGE IN LIFE'S LIGHTER MOMENTS AND SYLVESTER ALWAYS CHAMPIONED HOUSTON PARKS AND REC. IN THIS NEW CITY THAT WE ARE DEVELOPING, WE RECOGNIZE THAT THERE ARE NO LITTLE PEOPLE, THERE ARE NO LITTLE NEIGHBORHOODS, THERE ARE NO SECOND CLASS CITIZENS. WE ALL WORK TOGETHER AND THE BEST WAY TO DEMONSTRATE THAT IS TO UPLIFT THESE LOCAL NEIGHBORHOOD PARTS. SYLVESTER TURNER GONE TOO SOON, BUT HIS LEGACY WILL LIVE ON. I HAVE GIVEN YOU MY BEST. THANKS FOR WATCHING CITY PULSE AND A SPECIAL THANK YOU TO MCKENNA DOWELL WITH HOUSTON. FIRST FOR APPEARING ON TODAY'S PROGRAM FOR HTV HOUSTON TELEVISION, HOUSTON PARKS AND RECREATION, AND THE CITY OF HOUSTON. THIS IS TRAVIS LEMONS. REMEMBER, WE CAN ALWAYS DO BETTER AND KINDNESS IS FREE. * 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.