Dwight Boykins Holiday Bicycle Giveaway FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE December 19, 2014
Contact: Chelbi Mims (832) 393-3001
Chelbi.mims@houstontx.gov
In recognition of the holiday season, Council Member Dwight Boykins is partnering with the University of Houston Police Department to host a Holiday bicycle giveaway for 15 children from Forever Families Foster Care and Adoption Agency.
Forever Families is a non-profit organization that provides adoptive and foster placement for children within Texas. Forever Families provides children with a safe nurturing and educational environment through connection with families that last forever.
Who: Council Member Dwight Boykins, University of Houston Police Department, and Forever Families
When: December 23, 2014 at 4:00 pm
Where: Intersection of Southmore Blvd. and Almeda Rd. Houston TX 77004
Why: “A bicycle should be an integral part of every child’s experience,” said Council Member Dwight Boykins. “It gives me great pleasure to partner with The University of Houston Police Department and Forever Families to make the dream of owning a bicycle a reality for these deserving youth.”
Vested partners in the Villages at Palm Center gather the day before demolition.
The Palm Center at the corner of Griggs at Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd will receive a facelift in the next year as the old King’s Flea Market will face demolition to become the new Village at Palm Center, affordable living in an area that is seeing lots of new development.
There will be a four story mixed unit, mixed – income living complex that will hold 222 units and 200 of them will be for low to moderate income. 22 of the units will be at market rate. The breakdown will be 154 apartments and 68 townhomes. There is a call back list for units and once the doors open they will start to call the people who are on the list. “The low income housing will be based off of the incomes of applicants. They are mixed at 30% Area Median Income (AMI), 50% AMI, and 60% area median income and it’s for the whole Galveston and Houston area so a lot of the people who live in the community now can afford it”, according to Chris Akbari of ITEX.
The impending Metro rail that has already paved its way down MLK, Jr. Blvd proved to be an alluring aspect to the ITEX Group, when Clark Colvin, saw the area and began to visualize what could be the future of a once thriving neighborhood that has earned the reputation of being blighted.
“Two years ago Clark Colvin came to me with the idea of demolishing a flea market here in Southeast Houston and rebuilding housing,” said Chris Akbari, President of ITEX Group. “I kind of thought for a second he was crazy because I didn’t really know what he was talking about that day; but as I started to really evaluate all of the enterprises that are going on here in Southeast Houston, all the revitalization and all the collaborative efforts with the management district, with TIRZ, OST Partnership and all the neighborhood organizations that came together to really work to revitalize and do things in the world today where housing is being pushed into the suburban areas it is a tremendous benefit to have revitalization in the inner city of Houston.”
Akbari explained benefits of restoring the inner city community instead of pushing residents out so they have to live in the Pearland and in the outer suburban areas.
“It’s a chance to revitalize a part of the community that has needed it for quite a long time,” said Akbari.
This project had help from citizens as well who had a vision for their neighborhood and allowed ITEX to make it happen for them. Neal Rackleff, Director Houston Housing and Community Development Department, was an integral part of the $40 million project, providing $15.3 million in city funding to get it underway.
“How do we go from neglect and disorder to unity to light to beauty,” questioned Rackleff? “It takes people. It takes good people.”
He recognized the hard work of the community and reassured them that great things are happening there. Also District D’s Councilmember Boykins was attributed for his approval of the allocation of the money. He was cited as a champion of the community.
“We are really proud to be at the forefront of the resurgence of this community. The Village of Palm Center will have state of the art amenities including a 4,000 square foot community center, 2 playgrounds, a fitness center, ample green space, 222 units and 200 will be dedicated to people with low and moderate income,” said Rackleff. “One of the reasons we chose this area and we were quite strategic about it was because this area is on the upswing and people who live here are well aware. It was important to find a way to make sure that those with lower income can remain in this community as this wave of gentrification passes over us. It’s on the light rail, right next to the Houston Texans YMCA.”
Councilmember Dwight Boykins of District D was extremely excited about the new development in the area. As a native of the area he has big plans for the future of the Palm Center.
“I have to thank the Mayor for her commitment to the Village at Palm Center,” said Boykins. “It is a $15.3 million dollar financial investment into District D, with 15% set aside for Minority and Women-owned Business Enterprise (MWBE).”
Boykins did request for jobs for local residents and for non- violent ex-offenders.
“This project is going to revitalize this neighborhood; we are going to put some mixed units here, retail under the ground. We are going to protect this neighborhood,” said Councilmember Boykins. “This is going to be good for our community, we are going to bring it back you guys and I’m so, so excited.”
He also mentioned that it was easy to get a project like this in that area. The land was there, an investor and developer that wanted to come in, along with the potential of the neighborhood and rail coming.
“In their calculation they had to determine if it was worth it and they saw future development with 610 and the universities here and land locked with University of Houston is prime,” said Boykins.
The defining element of this project is the shopping area that will be located on the first floor of the complex. It was stressed by the community and their councilmember that the right retailers come in that will match the community’s needs.
“It will be small retail because the square footage will go for living accommodation. That’s why it’s called mixed use because underneath on the first floor it will be commercial like a coffee shop, a little convenience store,” said Boykins. “We want it to fit the community. There is no need to put a product in here that nobody is buying because you want it. We want it to be service because the nearest major store is off of Mykawa and Gulfgate but you have all these people in this area here that need basic services.”
Super neighborhood President, Preston Roe, was in support and attendance as he too worked with the project to address the needs of the community. As a 50 year resident in the same house, he remembers how vibrant the area once was mentioning the Montgomery Wards that use to be there.
“We are coming back to bring the neighborhood back to what we the ones who have been staying in this area have once knew it to be. In times that have passed this has been a fluid area but the area went down. Many people left but I stayed,” said Roe. “As people see it grow they will gradually come back into the area.”
Demolition starts on Thursday, December 4th to tear down what is affectionately known to Houstonians as King’s Flea Market and it will last 60 days and then vertical construction will start. Construction will last about 14 months and the newly erected Village at Palm Center will be open to the new tenants.
City Councilman Dwight Boykins at District D CIP Meeting at Cullen Middle School.
By: Myra Griffin
Recently elected District D Councilmember Dwight Boykins has hit the ground running and with speed as he hosted his first Capital Improvement Plan at Cullen Middle School, Thursday February 20, 2014.
Councilmember Boykins had representatives from the City’s Finance Department, Public Works and Engineering Department,and Parks and Recreations come out to address his constituents. Each department gave a brief overview and status update on the current issues they are working on such as streets, drainage, Emancipation and Hermann Park.
City officials explained about the cost, debts and bonds that go along with the repairs requested. The model showed the phase of Repair, Rehabilitation and Reconstruction.
After presentations the audience was allowed to ask questions and receive responses from the city departments that handle that specific issue.
At Large Councilmembers were present, C.O. Bradford, Michael Kubosh, David Robinson and Jack Christie.
The South Park Area Community Service, Inc. (SPACS) invited District D candidiates Dwight Boykins and Georgia Provost out for the last hoorah before the runoff election that will be held on December 14, 2013.
In the general election District D had 12 candidates running for the City Council seat. Boykins and Provost inched out the most votes but not enough to win the seat outright.
SPACS gave the candidates one final chance to reintroduce themselves to the people of District D as they held a forum at St. Philip Neri Parish Hall on December 3, 2014.
Bethel Institutional Baptist Church Choir performed two songs before the forum started.
Provost was a no show, as a supporter, gave his apologies stating Provost had a pressing family emergency. Boykins went on to face questions from three panelist and the constituents he wants to represent. Panelist came from the Houston Chronicle, Cindy George, The Houston Sun, Myra Griffin and KTSU Radio’s Larry Don Johnson. The moderator was, The Houston Sun publisher, Dorris Ellis and the timekeeper, Judge Zinetta Burney.
After introductions were made Boykins was allowed to introduce himself before the questions about infrastructure of the streets in District D were addressed as well as jobs, Bokyins Second Chance stance and of course the senior citizens.
After two hours of questions, Boykins said his thank you and asked again for votes.
At- Large Position 2 Councilman Andrew Burks, who too is in a runoff race against David Robinson came out to speak to voters and concluded the forum by saying, “I can only do for you if I’m in office. If I’m out there is nothing I can do.”
All voters were urged to go out and vote again for the runoff election.
Community members from the greater Old Spanish Trail (OST) area filled Judge Zinetta Burney’s courtroom on the second floor of the Palm Center to the max as they questioned city officials and Marlon Mitchell of the Houston Business Development Inc. about the rumored closure of Palm Center.
Palm Center is a staple for the greater OST region as a place of economic development. Ken Bolton, former Assistant Director of Economic Development for the city of Houston’s Housing and Community Development, addressed the assembled first about the vision for Palm Center for the past 25 years as a place for revitalization and business development. Bolton went on to say that the Palm Center is an engine for economic development and wherever economic development is there is money.
Councilmember Wanda Adams quickly approached the crowd to offer her support and to publicly say she stands with the community she represents in District D.
“I offer my commitment as an elected leader,” said Adams. “There is no way there are any plans to sell Palm Center.”
For there to be a sale of Palm Center it would be up to a city council vote and Councilwoman Adams strongly said there won’t be any support for it amongst her colleagues.
Elected officials and hopefuls from around the city took turns trying to quiet the concerns of the people assembled. Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee called as she was in Washington at the time to say that the federal dollars she allowed to trickle down for Palm Center would not just fade away in vain.
“I will fight to make sure there is no sale to Palm Center,” said Lee. “A change to Palm Center won’t be tolerated.”
The city of Houston Housing Department represented Mayor Parker. They presented a letter from Neal Rackleff, Director of Housing and Community Development, stating that the City has placed Land Use Restrictions (Restrictive Covenants) on the Palm Center for a period of 20 years “to insure that HBDI will use the Palm Center Project for economic development purposes” and that HBDI may “not sell, lease, transfer or otherwise dispose of the Palm Center Project Property, without the prior approval of City Council and if “HBDI agrees that its failure to abide by the terms and conditions of this Agreement, including the Restrictive Covenants … will result in a default. The city of Houston will enforce the contract in order to make sure a sale of Palm Center doesn’t happen.
Carroll Robinson, Board Trustee, District IV Houston Community College spoke to HCC’s role in the rumored closure of Palm Center’s closure. Originally Palm Center was a target area for the westward expansion of HCC’s campuses but the proposal did not make much headway with HBDI and HCC will expand in the Medical Center.
At this point is where the confusion set in for the proposal from HCC was a main catalyst for concern about the future of Palm Center. Leaders such as Judge Zinetta Burney and Constable May Walker of Precinct 7, whom have their offices located in the Palm Center, both declared that HCC could not make a home inside Palm Center even though they are champions for growth in the area.
“I was told by high level people that HCC wants to buy Palm Center,” said Burney. “I hope HCC puts a campus nearby just not at the Palm Center.”
The entertaining of the idea of closure cause for serious upset and Constable Walker demanded to know what the plans would be for Palm Center stating that everyone needed to know what was going on.
For now Palm Center is safe. There will be no sale of the facility but across the street there will be a state of the art, two story library built with $6 million from the HISD bond that was voted on in last November’s election. The Young Branch Library will break ground in June 2014.
