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I'M BRIAN WYNNE WITH LINCOLN PROP - WITH LINCOLN PROPERTY COMPANY.
I'D LIKE TO START BY THANKING EVERYBODY FOR JOINING US ALL HERE TODAY.
NONE OF THIS WOULD BE, UH, AN OPPORTUNITY WITHOUT ALL THE HELP AND SUPPORT WITH EVERYBODY HERE WITH US.
THE, UH, THIS MILESTONE IS NOT IMPORTANT JUST FOR GREENSPOINT, BUT ALSO THE CONTINUED GROWTH OF THE CITY OF HOUSTON.
TODAY'S CEREMONY SIGNIFIES SOMETHING IMPORTANT, THE FUTURE DEVELOPMENT AND CONTINUED GROWTH OF THE NORTH HOUSTON DISTRICT AND THE POSITIVE IMPACT IT'LL HAVE ON SURROUNDING COMMUNITY AROUND US.
THIS MOMENT WOULD NOT BE POSSIBLE WITHOUT MANY INDIVIDUALS IN THE ORGANIZATIONS THAT HELPED BRING US HERE TODAY.
THE PARTNERS AND STAKEHOLDERS IN THE, UH, WE, THE, THE COMMUNITY LEADERS, WE, UH, THANK YOU FOR SUPPORT, COLLABORATION, AND THE COMMITMENT THROUGHOUT THIS PROCESS.
WE ARE FORTUNATE TO HAVE SEVERAL KEY FIGURES TO SPEAK ON REMARKS HERE TODAY, UM, WITH, THAT BROUGHT THIS VISION TO A REALITY, STARTING WITH KEVIN WYATT, EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT AND PARTNER OF LINCOLN PROPERTY COMPANY, MAYOR JOHN WHITMEYER WITH CITY OF HOUSTON, COUNCIL MEMBER TARSHA JACKSON, PHIL HOWARD, PRESIDENT AND CEO OF FITNESS CONNECTION, PATTY MILLER, EE REED CONSTRUCTION, AND GABE LERNER, EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT AND PARTNER OF LINCOLN PROPERTY COMPANY.
WHILE TODAY MARKS THE END OF ONE CHAPTER, IT STARTS THE BEGINNING OF SOMETHING NEW.
UH, WE'RE EXCITED ABOUT THE OPPORTUNITY THAT THIS PROJECT BRINGS WITH, UH, GREENSPOINT, THE NORTH HOUSTON DISTRICT, AND THE SURROUNDING HOUSTON ENVIRONMENT.
THANK YOU AGAIN FOR BEING HERE TO CELEBRATE THIS MILESTONE.
AND AT THIS TIME, I'D LIKE TO INTRODUCE OUR FIRST SPEAKER, KEVIN WYATT.
WHAT AN EXCITING DAY IT IS TO BE OUT HERE.
I'M GONNA TELL YOU, I'M HONORED AND PRIVILEGED TO BE HERE CELEBRATING THE REVIVAL OF THIS OLD GREENSPOINT MALL INTO WHAT WILL BE THE CITY NORTH INDUSTRIAL PARK.
AS FAR AS TIMING AND HOW I GOT INVOLVED IN THIS DEAL, PEOPLE HAVE ASKED ME HOW LONG THAT I'VE BEEN INVOLVED IN THIS PROJECT.
I WILL TELL YOU THAT IT'S 42 YEARS IN THE MAKING.
UH, MY WIFE CELIA AND I MARRIED AND MOVED TO THIS AREA IN 1984.
WE LIVED IN THE BLUE ASH APARTMENTS UP HERE AT RITCHIE ROAD, DEVELOPED BY TRAMMELL CROW.
WE EXPERIENCED THE AREA, THIS MALL, TRULY IN ITS HEYDAY.
THIS MALL WAS 1.5 MILLION SQUARE FEET.
IT WAS THE SUPER REGIONAL SUBURBAN MALL IN HOUSTON.
IT, THIS IS HOW THIS MALL WAS 40 YEARS AGO, 45 YEARS AGO.
BACK THEN THE MALL WAS A MAJOR DESTINATION.
IT INCLUDED STORES THAT MA - MOST OF US HAVE FORGOTTEN ABOUT.
BATTLESTEIN'S AND ISABELLE GERHARDT, AND OF COURSE DOZENS MORE.
IN 1984, WE WERE NEWLY MARRIED, FRESH OUT OF COLLEGE.
WE LIVED HERE, WE WORKED HERE.
I STARTED MY REAL ESTATE CAREER WITH CBRE RIGHT UP HERE AT, UH, RANKIN AND 45.
OUR DINNER PLACE WAS BEER PERETTI'S RIGHT OVER HERE ON GREENS ROAD.
A FEW YEARS LATER WHEN WE COULD AFFORD IT, WE JOINED THE GREENSPOINT CLUB.
WE HUNG OUT THERE QUITE A BIT.
UH, THIS, THIS MARKET WAS THRIVING.
UH, THERE WERE INDUSTRY BEHEMOTHS DEVELOPING CLASS A OFFICE BUILDINGS HERE, INCLUDING TRAMMELL CROW, FRIENDSWOOD, MY OWN COMPANY, LINCOLN, VANTAGE, TREPTO MURPHY, CAN'T SEE IT, GENE BRANSCOMB, DOES THAT NAME RING A BELL? AND THE INFAMOUS MEL POWERS.
THEY'RE ALL DEVELOPING CLASS A OFFICE SPACE IN THIS IMMEDIATE AREA.
CELIA AND I SHOPPED AT THIS MALL.
I REMEMBER BEING AT THIS FOLEY'S IN 1988, SHOPPING FOR A BIRTHDAY GIFT FOR AND CLUTCHING MY BRAND NEW SEVEN POUND PANASONIC CELL PHONE.
I TRAINED FOR MY FIRST MARATHON ON THESE VERY STREETS, RUNNING HUNDREDS OF MILES ALL THROUGH THIS AREA, UP AND DOWN THESE OVERPASSES.
FOR THE PAST 42 YEARS, I'VE OFFICED IN THE AREA FOR ABOUT 25 YEARS OF THAT, INCLUDING THE PAST NINE YEARS RIGHT THERE AT CITY NORTH FOUR RIGHT NEXT TO THE HILTON, WHICH WE'RE REDEVELOPING THIS EXXON CAMPUS INTO A HIGH QUALITY CLASS A OFFICE PROJECT.
SO YOU CAN SAY THIS IS OUR DESTINY, BUT IT'S CERTAINLY OUR PASSION.
WHEN THE OPPORTUNITY PRESENTED ITSELF, WE ACTED WITH FOCUS AND PRECISION
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AND EXPERTISE AND IT TOOK ALL OF THIS TO GET IT DONE.REDEVELOPING THIS MALL JUST TO GET TO THIS POINT HAS BEEN THE MOST CHALLENGING PROJECT OF MY 40 YEAR CAREER, BUT IT WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN POSSIBLE WITHOUT A LOT OF HELP.
SO NEXT I'M GONNA CREDIT THE FOLLOWING PEOPLE AND, AND COMPANIES WHO ARE INSTRUMENTAL IN THIS PROJECT.
THE FIRST CALL I GOT WAS FROM SALLY BRADFORD OVER AT THE TURS AND THIS PROJECT WAS BEING VERY, KEPT VERY CONFIDENTIAL, VERY QUIET.
WE DIDN'T WANT ANYBODY KNOWING ABOUT IT.
A LOT OF PEOPLE HAD TRIED TO REDEVELOP THIS MALL UNSUCCESSFULLY AND OUR STRATEGY WAS BASICALLY DON'T SAY ANYTHING UNTIL YOU, KIND OF 'TIL YOU GET THERE.
I GET A CALL FROM SALLY BRADFORD, I HAVE NO IDEA WHY I DIDN'T KNOW SALLY.
AND SHE SAID, "I HEAR YOU'RE REDEVELOPING THE MALL." I'M LIKE, "YOU MEAN PROJECT FRANKLIN?" OR WHATEVER ELSE WE CALLED IT, NAS.
SALLY AND I HAD AN INSTANT CONNECTIVITY.
UH, SHE OFFERED TO BE A FINANCIAL PARTNER, UH, IN, YOU KNOW, IN PROVIDING VALUABLE CONTRIBUTIONS TO MAKE THIS DEAL POSSIBLE.
SALLY, YOU HUNG WITH US THROUGH SOME VERY, VERY DIFFICULT TIMES AND EVERYTHING YOU DID WAS VITAL.
UM, SECOND PRIORITY WAS PHIL HOWARD.
IS PHIL HERE? AH, PHIL, PLEASE COME JOIN US.
PHIL HOWARD, CEO AT FITNESS CONNECTION.
WE MADE AN INSTANT CONNECTION AND FRIENDSHIP.
I CAN'T TELL YOU HOW INSTRUMENTAL HE IS TO THIS DEAL.
WE, WE END, WE ENDED UP WITH A 45,000 FOOT BRAND NEW BUILD TO SUIT FOR FITNESS CONNECTION ON A, ON A SITE RIGHT OUT HERE.
UM, MY THIRD CALL WAS TO NAS KALFI AT POWERS BROWN WHO'S BEEN INVOLVED IN THIS PROJECT FOR PROBABLY 15 OR 20 YEARS.
I WILL TELL YOU HE JUMPED ON PLANNING FROM DAY ONE, WORKING TIRELESS AND FRANKLY PRO BONO FOR OVER A YEAR.
NAS, THANK YOU FOR BEING, DOING EVERYTHING YOU'VE DONE HERE TO MAKE THIS HAPPEN.
UH, NEXT, THANKS TO PAUL NOLAND AND HIS TEAM AT NEW YORK LIFE.
THEY LOOKED PAST THE CHALLENGES AND DIFFICULTIES AND FOCUSED ON THE POTENTIAL AND WE'RE PROUD TO BE PARTNERS WITH NEW YORK LIFE ON THIS DEAL.
REED, MARK, SEAN, TEAM, PATTY, WHO WORKED HUNDREDS, THOUSANDS OF HOURS, THEIR CONTRIBUTION HAS BEEN PARAMOUNT TO THIS PROJECT.
MORE THANKS TO KIMLEY-HORN, WHO'S DONE AN INCREDIBLE JOB ON A VERY COMPLICATED CIVIL PROJECT.
TO THE CITY OF HOUSTON, WHO'S BEEN AN ECONOMIC PARTNER, VITAL TO THE PROJECT.
TO MY TEAM AT LINCOLN, WHO WAS THERE EVERY STEP OF THE WAY, BRIAN, MATT, ZACH, LUKE, EVERYBODY AT LINCOLN, WE GOT IT DONE.
ABO- ABOVE ALL TO GOD WHO ANSWERED ALL OF MY PRAYERS AND SOLVED SEEMINGLY IMPOSSIBLE ISSUES.
SO NOW I'LL WIND UP, I'LL WIND DOWN AND GIVE YOU THE WRAP UP.
I LIKE TO CELEBRATE AND HAVE SOME FUN IN EVENTS LIKE THESE.
SO I'VE BEEN THINKING OF THE EXACT RIGHT CORRECT WORDS TO HELP DESCRIBE WHAT WILL SOON KICK OFF THE HISTORIC REVIVAL OF THE GREENSPOINT MALL.
I KNOW THESE WORDS MAY GO DOWN IN HISTORY, AND I HAD A COUPLE OF IDEAS, BUT I COULDN'T DECIDE ON WHICH ONE TO GO WITH.
SO I'M GONNA RUN BOTH OF YOU BY YOU, AND YOU CAN USE EITHER ONE YOU WANT.
I THINK YOU'LL REMEMBER BOTH OF THEM.
SO THESE ARE MY KICKOFF QUOTES.
I HOPE WE HAVE SOME FIGHT FANS HERE.
BACK IN COLLEGE, I WAS A BIG BOXING FAN.
AND YOU GUYS MAY KNOW MICHAEL BUFFER.
HE'S A FAMOUS ANNOUNCER FOR FIGHTS.
AND I'LL DO MY BEST TO UTILIZE HIS WORDS, A LITTLE BIT OF HIS VOICE WITH A SLIGHT VARIATION.
SO YOU KNOW THE GUY, Y'ALL KNOW MICHAEL BUFFER? YOU KNOW, LET'S GET READY TO RUMBLE.
WE'RE GONNA SAY, "LET'S GET READY TO TUMBLE." OR THIS ONE YOU MAY LIKE BETTER.
IN THE IMMORTAL WORDS OF PRESIDENT RONALD REAGAN, AGAIN WITH SLIGHT VARIANCE,
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AND NOT GORBACHEV, BUT MR. ANDERSON, WHO'S HANDLING THIS FOR US FOR E.E.MR. ANDERSON, TEAR DOWN THIS MALL.
SO TODAY IS THE FIRST DAY OF THE TRANSFORMATION OF THIS ONCE GREAT MALL INTO A NEW 1.1 MILLION SQUARE FOOT INDUSTRIAL LOGISTICS PARK, ANCHORED BY A BRAND NEW STATE-OF-THE-ART FITNESS CONNECTION.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR BEING HERE.
UM, AT THIS TIME, JUST WANT TO INTRODUCE MAYOR JOHN WHITMEYER AND HIS PARTNERSHIP WITH THIS PROJECT AND GETTING IT TO THIS DAY.
KEVIN, YOU PROBABLY OUGHT TO STICK TO DEVELOPMENT, OKAY?
THERE'S SO MANY PEOPLE I COULD RECOGNIZE YOU DID MOST OF THE OUTSTANDING LEADERS, CERTAINLY TARSHA JACKSON, OUR LOCAL COUNCIL MEMBER, THE TURS, COULDN'T DO IT WITHOUT SALLY AND ELVIN AND OTHERS THAT ARE HERE.
REALLY, AS I LOOK OUT ACROSS OUR ATTENDANCE, THIS IS HOW COLLABORATION WORKS.
IT'S WHAT'S MAKING A DIFFERENCE ACROSS OUR GREAT CITY.
WHAT MANY THOUGH WAS IMPOSSIBLE, NOW WE SEE IS REALITY.
SO AS A HOUSTONIAN THAT GREW UP HERE, I'VE BEEN TO NORTH LINE MALL, THOSE GLORY DAYS, AND WE'VE ALL DRIVEN BY MANY TIMES, VERY FRUSTRATED, SAYING, "WHY DOES IT HAVE TO BE?" AND TODAY WE'RE GETTING THE ANSWER.
YOU JUST NEED KEVIN AND LINCOLN PROPERTIES, THE COLLABORATION WITH LOCAL GOVERNMENT, YOU KNOW, WE'RE GONNA HAVE A FIRE POLICE STATION VERY CLOSE THAT'S GONNA BUILD CONFIDENCE IN PEOPLE THAT WE HAVE A SAFE LOCATION.
THANK YOU TO FITNESS FOR STAYING LOCATED HERE.
SO, YOU KNOW, THIS IS WHY YOU RUN FOR OFFICE.
I KNOW THERE'S A LOT OF BUSINESS AND PUBLIC SERVANTS HERE, BUT QUITE FRANKLY, THIS IS WHY YOU LEAVE THE STATE SENATE TO COME BACK WITH THE OPPORTUNITY TO REDEVELOP AND FIX HOUSTON.
SO AS BAD AS I HATE TO LEAVE, BECAUSE I WANNA WITNESS IT FIRSTHAND, AND I'VE GOT GWEN TILLISON, THE DIRECTOR OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IN MY OFFICE AND MEDIA'S HERE, BELIEVE IT OR NOT, WE'RE OPENING A HOUSING PROJECT IN MIDTOWN FOR THE HOMELESS, UNHOUSED.
SO THINK ABOUT WHAT A GREAT DAY IT IS TO BE THE MAYOR OF THE CITY OF HOUSTON.
GET TO REVITALIZE A BADLY NEEDED AREA, BUILD HOPE AND CONFIDENCE IN THE RESIDENTS AND THE BUSINESSES, AND THEN I GET TO RUN AND GO DOWNTOWN AND PARTICIPATE IN RIBBON CUTTING IN MIDTOWN WHERE WE NEED HOUSING SO BAD FOR THOSE UNHOUSED.
SO EXCUSE ME FOR LEAVING, I'M LEAVING HERE A BETTER MA- MAYOR THAN THE ONE THAT GOT HERE BECAUSE OF YOUR HARD WORK.
LINCOLN, NEW YORK LIFE, THANK YOU, BUT REALLY THANK TO THE LOCALS THAT MADE THIS HAPPEN.
WHEN I SAY LOCALS, KEVIN, I'M TALKING ABOUT YOU AND YOUR TEAM AS WELL.
THANK Y'ALL, LET'S CELEBRATE THIS OCCASION.
AT THIS TIME, JUST WANNA TURN OVER TO, UH, CITY COUNCIL MEMBER TARSHA JACKSON AND HER LOCAL SUPPORT TO MAKE THIS PROJECT SUCCESSFUL.
IT IS A GREAT DAY IN DISTRICT B.
FOR THOSE OF US WHO GREW UP IN THIS AREA, GREENSPOINT MALL WAS MORE THAN JUST A SHOPPING CENTER.
IT WAS PART OF OUR LIVES, PART OF OUR COMMUNITY.
I REMEMBER MONTGOMERY WARD, FOLEY'S, THE FOOD COURT, THE MOVIE THEATER BACK BEHIND US.
WE SHOPPED HERE, WE, WE ATE HERE, WE WORKED HERE.
THIS WAS THE PLACE TO BE IF YOU, IF YOU WAS IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON.
I EVEN RAISED MY CHILDREN IN THIS AREA, AND THEY LOVE VISITING THE MALL TO SEE SANTA DURING THE HOLIDAYS.
SO WHEN I THINK ABOUT GREENSPOINT MALL, I DON'T JUST THINK ABOUT A MALL.
I THINK ABOUT MEMORIES, FAMILY, AND GENERATIONS OF PEOPLE WHO CALLED THIS COMMUNITY HOME.
THIS WAS ONCE A THRIVING AREA,
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AND THAT'S WHY IT'S SO DIFFICULT FOR SO MANY OF US TO WATCH, THAT'S WHY IT WAS SO DIFFICULT FOR US TO WATCH THE PROPERTY DETERIORATE OVER THE YEARS.BUT AS THE COUNCIL MEMBER FOR THIS AREA, I'VE HAD MANY CONVERSATIONS WITH COMMUNITY ABOUT WHAT WE WANTED TO SEE HAPPEN WITH THIS PROPERTY.
AND THIS DEVELOPMENT MIGHT NOT BE EXACTLY WHAT WE ENVISION, BUT ONE THING I KNOW IS THAT WE CANNOT AFFORD TO LET THIS PROPERTY SIT HERE FOR ANOTHER DECADE WITHOUT INVESTMENT, WITHOUT GROWTH, AND WITHOUT OPPORTUNITY.
AND THAT'S WHAT TODAY IS PRESENT, REPRESENTS, AN OPPORTUNITY FOR A NEW CHAPTER IN GREENSPOINT.
WE'RE TALKING ABOUT $150 MILLION INVESTMENT, APPROXIMATELY 300 CONSTRUCTION JOBS AND THE POTENTIAL FOR AS MANY AS 1200 FULL-TIME JOB ONCE THE DEVELOPMENT IS COMPLETED AND FULLY OCCUPIED.
SO FOR ME, IT'S NOT JUST ABOUT BUILDINGS OR DOLLARS BEING INVESTED, IT'S ABOUT THE PEOPLE.
IT'S ABOUT MAKING SURE THAT THE RESIDENTS WHO LIVE HERE, RAISED THEIR FAMILIES HERE AND STOOD BY THIS COMMUNITY THROUGH THE GOOD TIMES AND THE DIFFICULT TIMES.
WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THEY HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO BENEFIT FROM THIS INVESTMENT.
WE WANNA SEE OUR RESIDENTS WORKING ON THESE CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS.
I WANNA SEE OUR YOUNG PEOPLE CONNECTED TO CAREER OPPORTUNITIES, AND I WANNA SEE THIS INVESTMENT ENCOURAGE EVEN MORE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IN THE BEST, UM, NEIGHBORHOOD IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON, GREENSPOINT.
I WANNA THANK NEW YORK, LIFE INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT, MAYOR WHITMEYER, GWEN.
WE GOT SALLY, PASTOR DECKER, WHO'S THE PASTOR IN HERE AT GREENSPOINT, LIKE REALLY DONE A LOT OF GREAT WORK.
I WANNA THANK YOU ALL, EVERYONE WHO WORKED VERY HARD TO BRING THIS PROJECT FORWARD.
I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO LEARNING MORE AND SEEING THE PROGRESS AND WORKING TOGETHER TO MAKE SURE THE SURROUNDING COMMUNITY BENEFITS FROM THE OPPORTUNITIES THIS DEVELOPMENT CAN BRING.
SO, YOU KNOW, WE WILL ALWAYS HAVE OUR MEMORIES OF GREENSPOINT MALL.
THOSE MEMORIES WOULD NEVER GO AWAY, BUT TODAY IS NOT JUST ABOUT GREENSPOINT.
WHAT YOU, WHAT GREENSPOINT USED TO BE, IT'S ABOUT WHAT GREENSPOINT CAN BECOME, AND I LOOK FORWARD TO BEING PART OF THE NEXT CHAPTER.
THANK YOU AND CONGRATULATIONS TO EVERYONE WHO HELPED MAKE THIS POSSIBLE.
THANK YOU, TARSHA, AND AGAIN, JUST APPRECIATE ALL THE LOCAL SUPPORT TO GET THIS, TO THIS, TO GET US TO THIS POINT TODAY.
AT THIS TIME, JUST WANNA TURN OVER TO ONE OF OUR FIRST PARTNERS THAT BELIEVE IN THIS DEVELOPMENT AND ONE OF OUR FIRST TENANTS, PHIL HOWARD, PRESIDENT AND CEO OF FITNESS CONNECTION.
WE'VE HAD THE PRIVILEGE OF SERVING HERE AT THE MALL FOR OVER 20 YEARS.
AND WHEN WE STARTED THIS LOCATION, IT WAS ALL ABOUT ACCESSIBILITY.
FOR US, THAT MEANT ACCESS TO THE PATRONS OF THE MALL, ACCESS TO THE FREEWAYS, BUT MOST IMPORTANTLY, ACCESS THAT WE WANTED TO PROVIDE TO THE COMMUNITY.
IN THE LAST FIVE OR SIX YEARS, WE'VE BEEN IN A, A BATTLE TO BE ABLE TO CONTINUE TO PROVIDE THAT ACCESS.
YOU HAVE SOME GREAT SPEAKERS TODAY THAT THANKED ALL PARTIES THAT ARE RESPONSIBLE.
WE HAVE SOME OF MY TEAM BACK HERE IN THE BACK THAT EVERY DAY COME AND BRAVE THE ABANDONED MALL TO BE SURE THAT WE CAN SERVE OVER 10,000 MEMBERS HERE IN OUR GREENSPOINT COMMUNITY THAT ARE COMING DAY IN AND DAY OUT, DESPITE US BEING THE SOLE TENANT LEFT.
KEVIN, I DON'T KNOW HOW YOU DID IT.
YOU SAID THIS IS THE MOST CHALLENGING THING YOU'VE DONE.
I STOPPED COUNTING DEVELOPERS THAT I'VE SPOKE WITH.
YOU ARE AN ANSWER TO MY PRAYERS.
UM, AT THIS TIME, I THINK WE'RE GONNA REPOSITION AND START SOME PHOTO OPPORTUNITIES AND JUST GET PREPARED FOR THE FIRST ROUND OF DEMOLITION.
BUT AGAIN, UH, WE'LL RECONVENE AFTER THE DEMOLITION AND HAVE SOME CLOSING STATEMENTS FROM GABE LERNER.
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ALL RIGHT.I DON'T HAVE 42 YEARS TO THINK ABOUT GREAT QUOTES AND LINES, UM, BUT I WROTE SOMETHING LAST NIGHT JUST ABOUT THIS, SO GOOD MORNING.
I WANNA THANK MAYOR WHITMORE, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER TARSHA JACKSON, UM, AND THE MAYOR CITY AND THE CITY OF HOUSTON, UM, ALONG WITH EVERYONE AT THE CITY THAT'S BEEN HELPING US FOR THIS, THIS PROJECT.
THANK YOU TO KEVIN WYATT AND THE ENTIRE LINCOLN PROPERTY TEAM.
THANK YOU TO PAUL NOLAN AND, AND NEW YORK LIFE FOR TRUSTING US IN THIS DEAL.
PHIL HOWARD AND FITNESS CONNECTION, UH, AND EVERYONE WHO'S PLAYED A ROLE IN GETTING US TO THIS POINT.
REED, UM, OUR CONSTRUCTION TEAM HAS BEEN, YOU KNOW, TANTAMOUNT TO THIS AND HAVE SET THIS ALL UP, SO THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR MAKING THIS A FLAWLESS EXECUTION SO FAR SO GOOD.
UM, A PROJECT OF THIS SCALE TAKES A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF COORDINATION, COLLABORATION, AND COMMITMENT.
UH, WE APPRECIATE EVERYONE WHO'S BEEN HERE TO, TO SEE THIS FIRST MILESTONE.
UM, YOU KNOW, LAST NIGHT, AS I WAS PUTTING MY TWO AND FOUR-YEAR-OLD BOYS WHO ARE NOT VERY EASY TO SLEEP, UM, I FOUND MYSELF THINKING ABOUT TODAY AND WHAT THIS PROJECT MEANS FOR ME, RIGHT? I, I DON'T HAVE 40 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE HERE.
I HAVE AN OFFICE HERE FOR 20 PLUS YEARS, BUT IT REMINDED ME THAT WE HAVE RESPONSIBILITY THAT IS BIGGER THAN JUST A REAL ESTATE PROJECT.
IT'S NOT JUST ABOUT WHAT WE BUILD, WHAT WE INVEST, OR WHAT WE ACCOMPLISH ON A SPREADSHEET.
UH, IT'S ABOUT THE FUTURE WE HELP CREATE FOR OUR CHILDREN AND FOR THE FAMILIES WHO CALL THIS CITY OUR HOME.
UM, THE REALITY IS THAT NOT EVERY DEAL HAS THE OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE A LASTING EFFECT ON THE COMMUNITY.
NOT EVERY PROJECT HAS A POTENTIAL TO CHANGE THE TRAJECTORY OF AN AREA, CREATE MEANINGFUL OPPORTUNITIES, OR CREATE A COMMUNITY GIVING SOMETHING PRIDE FOR GENERATIONS TO COME.
I THINK WHEN MANY OF US GET INTO REAL ESTATE, WE FOCUS ON THE BUILDINGS, THE NUMBERS, THE INVESTMENT, THE DEVELOPMENT PROCESS, BUT OVER TIME, YOU REALIZE THAT WHAT WE CAN DO SHAPES MUCH MORE THAN JUST A PHYSICAL PROPERTY.
WE CAN HELP SHAPE ENVIRONMENTS, NEIGHBORHOODS, FAMILIES, PEOPLE'S EVERYDAY LIVES.
WE CAN CREATE PLACES WHERE BUSINESSES GROW, WHERE PEOPLE FIND JOBS, AND WHERE FAMILIES BUILD MEMORIES.
UM, AND IF YOU'RE FORTUNATE ENOUGH TO HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE PART OF SOMETHING THAT CAN TRULY MAKE A DIFFERENCE, I BELIEVE YOU HAVE THE RESPONSIBILITY TO MAKE THE MOST OF IT IN WHAT WE'RE DOING RIGHT NOW AND WHAT KEVIN HAS KIND OF LEADING WITH HIS FORESIGHT HERE.
AS PARENTS AND AS CITIZENS, WE ALL WANNA MAKE, WE ALL WANT TO LEAVE OUR CHILDREN A CITY THAT IS BETTER, STRONGER, AND SAFER THAN THE ONE THAT WE, WE HAD.
WE WANNA HAVE THEM OPPORTUNITIES TO BE PROUD OF WHERE THEY COME FROM AND LIVE IN COMMUNITIES WHERE PEOPLE CAN THRIVE.
THAT'S WHAT MAKES TODAY MEANINGFUL.
GREENS POINT HAS A LONG HISTORY.
WE RECOGNIZE THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THIS PROPERTY AND THAT IT HAS IT ON THE COMMUNITY SURROUNDING US, BUT WE ALSO BELIEVE STRONGLY IN THE FUTURE.
CITY NORTH INDUSTRIAL PARK GIVES US THIS OPPORTUNITY TO TURN AN UNDERUTILIZED PROPERTY INTO SOMETHING PRODUCTIVE, TO BRING NEW INVESTMENT, ATTRACT BUSINESSES, CREATE JOBS, AND TO HELP MOVE THIS PART OF THE CITY FORWARD.
WE UNDERSTAND THAT ONE PROJECT DOESN'T SOLVE EVERY CHALLENGE COMMUNITY FACES, BUT WE BELIEVE PROJECTS LIKE THIS CAN BE AN IMPORTANT PART OF THE ANSWER, AND WE DON'T TAKE THAT OPPORTUNITY LIGHTLY AT LINCOLN PROPERTY COMPANY.
ON BEHALF OF LINCOLN, WE ARE PROUD TO BE PART OF THIS EFFORT.
WE APPRECIATE OUR TRUSTED PARTNERS, NEW YORK LIFE, THE CITY, AND THE COLLECTIVE COMMITMENT THAT WE HAVE TO THIS POINT.
TODAY IS MORE THAN ABOUT BRINGING DOWN AN OLD MALL OR AN OLD BUILDING.
IT'S ABOUT MAKING ROOM FOR SOMETHING NEW.
IT'S ABOUT TAKING A PROPERTY WITH A LONG HISTORY AND CREATING AN OPPORTUNITY FOR A BETTER FUTURE.
THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING HERE, FOR YOUR PARTNERSHIP, AND FOR BELIEVING IN WHAT'S POSSIBLE FOR GREENSPOINT AND FOR HOUSTON.
WE ARE EXCITED ABOUT WHAT COMES NEXT, AND WE ARE COMMITTED IN DOING OUR PART HERE IN, AT GREENSPOINT AND SYDNEY NORTH INDUSTRIAL.
WELL, WE JUST, AGAIN, THANK YOU FOR CELEBRATING THIS TIME AND THIS EXCITING DAY AND JUST LOOKING FORWARD TO THE EXCITING PROCESS AHEAD OF US AND THE RE- REVITALIZATION OF GREENSPOINT DISTRICT.
AGAIN, THANK YOU AND, UH, I APPRECIATE ALL THE HELP HERE.