Beyond successfully guiding the Bayou City through storms of all kinds – environmental, fiscal, and otherwise – Mayor Sylvester Turner has been an advocate of the arts, education, and equity.
That equity focus served as the foundational principle behind Turner’s Complete Communities initiative. And though the grade Turner receives on that effort depends greatly upon who you ask, one thing all can agree on is his commitment to supporting libraries and working to make them available in every possible corner of the city.
To that end, Turner recently took a victory lap of sorts by inviting media members, city officials and others to accompany him on the “Mayor’s Library Legacy Tour.”
The journey made three stops – the New North Regional Library (2801 S. Victory Dr., Houston 77088), the Gregory Row Houses (corner of Victory @ Cushing streets, Houston 77019), and the Dr. Shannon Walker Neighborhood Library (5505 Belrose Dr., Houston 77035) – each with remarks from key players and activities connected to each location.
Here are the highlights from the tour:
NEW NORTH REGIONAL LIBRARY
The Houston Public Library is creating a comprehensive system strategically positioned across the city in seven regions, with a total of seven full-service libraries. This location will contain a multi-use meeting room, a modern children’s space, teen area, and a space for adults. Customers will have access to a full collection of books for all ages. This will be a full-service library with approximately 20,000 square feet of space. It will feature a children’s STEAM lab, a dedicated area for teens, quiet space for adults, flexible meeting and conference spaces, and state-of-the-art computers and technology. TECHLink services will include music and video recording studio facilities.
Several individuals offered remarks preceding the official groundbreaking ceremony.
Dr. Rhea Brown Lawson, Library Director
Opening this library in the “foe-foe,” I know that this groundbreaking event is especially meaningful to you. Under your guidance and support the Houston Public Library system has continued to flourish, to serve as vibrant community hubs that promote and support all levels of literacy and learning technology, access, exploration, innovation, and cultural exchange.
Kenneth Allen, Director of Houston Parks and Recreation Department
This is a wonderful space; over 26 acres. Can you look right across the street at Sylvester Turner Park and the RBI Academy? We want to build a space here that will complement the things that are happening at the library from a leisure perspective indoors. And then from an outdoor perspective, a place of tranquility, a place of peace where people could just sit outside, enjoy nature, read and potentially take part in recreational pursuits. Everything from fitness to potentially aquatics, to a walking trail, to a fitness area; just a place of peace and recreation and educational pursuits. So, working with Dr. Lawson and many partners, we inspire to make this a beautiful indoor-outdoor space for the community to enjoy.
Sylvester Turner, Mayor
Today marks a truly special moment for me because I’m standing right here in my own neighborhood where my journey begins. And quite frankly, where I still am. I mean, literally, I can walk home from here. This is area where I grew up. In fact, right down the street, three of my brothers and sisters graduated from Carver High School. So, today marks a very special moment. It’s an honor to join you in celebrating the groundbreaking of a new library, a project that holds a very deep, personal significance. You know, for all of us, as a child growing up in this community, I found solace, inspiration, and knowledge within the pages of books, discovered the magic of books, the power of imagination, and the limitless possibilities that education brings. The realization of a new state-of-the-art library in this cherished neighborhood embodies a commitment to our community’s future.
The North Regional Library will be a full-service library with approximately 20,000 square feet of space. It will feature vibrant and engaging spaces for all ages, including a children’s STEAM lab, science technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics, and flexible meeting and conference spaces. The library will include TECHLink and create a creativity hub that essentially combines a maker space and a technology center together to offer free access for state-of-the art equipment used to craft creative content and projects, videos, and recordings, and to learn new skills and techniques.
And then… you really kind of get the flavor of this area, and particularly this street, because down the street, I mentioned Carver High School, where the focus is on art, photography, and things of that nature. Down the streets. Right next to it is the Bethune Empowerment Center, creating that innovative hub that we are working on right now as a part of Complete Communities. That’s literally about a block and a half down the street. And then, of course, you got Sylvester Turner Park that’s adjacent, across from us. And then right down the street on Victory is Lone Star Community College, all forming a part of this ecosystem that we are building. What’s happening here, the North Regional Library connects all of those elements together. And really, I think when you come back years from now and drive down Victory, you will see a whole new victory in so many different areas.
Tarsha Jackson, City Council Member, District B
I want to thank [Mayor Turner] for everything he has done for our community. I can say that it has been a rewarding experience to work with him and his administration. I was born and raised in District B. From Acres Homes, Greenspoint, the North Forest area. Spend a lot of time in Fifth Ward, Kelly Courts. And just to see the investment that has been put in our community since I’ve been in office. And you know, he’s been in office longer than me. So, the investment that has been put in District B has been significant and has just been amazing…
The importance of libraries cannot be overstated. Libraries are where our children go to grow their imaginations, expand their horizons, to grow their knowledge. Libraries are basically where community comes together to learn new things. It’s actually where they come and just really connect. So, libraries are very important in our neighborhood. In a world where experiences are only available to those who can afford them, libraries remain a beacon of equity because they are free and available to everyone. (C/M Tarsha Jackson)
GREGORY ROW HOUSES
Three 1920s houses, currently in restoration for re-adaptive use, are located in the Historic Fourth Ward. The larger house (1204 Victor), located on the corner, will serve as the Freemen’s Town Visitors Center, a place to gather and celebrate stories of human freedom. Home to Houston Freedmen’s Town Conservancy’s operations, the Visitors Center will serve as a new model for development, partnerships, community engagement, and heritage tourism in Freedmen’s Town. The middle house will provide a gathering and meeting space and the third house will serve as a historic reminder of life in Freedmen’s Town. A deck will be built behind the houses, connecting all three and providing an outdoor gathering space.
Before attendees participated in a viewing of the houses, Jackie Bostic (chairperson of the Fourth Ward Redevelopment Authority), Eileen Lawal (president of the Board of Directors for the Houston Freedmen’s Town Conservancy), Miguell Ceasar (manager of the African American History Research Center), and Turner shared remarks.
DR. SHANNON WALKER NEIGHBORHOOD LIBRARY
The new library consists of a modern children’s, teen, and adult area, a multi-use meeting room, conference room, computers, and devices for checkout. Customers will have access to a full collection of books for all ages. TECH-Link services include music, video, and podcast studios, multimedia-focused PCs and tools, 3D printer access, and interactive devices for kids.
Named after esteemed NASA astronaut Dr. Shannon Walker, a native Houstonian with deep roots in the community of District K, the library will foster curiosity and learning. The innovative, modern design offers a warm atmosphere to enjoy the world of knowledge and technology. The community can look forward to enjoying all the amenities inside of the library when it officially opens next spring.
During this final leg of the Mayor’s Library Legacy Tour, attendees heard words from Turner, Martha Castex-Tatum, City Council Member, District K; Vanessa Wyche, director of the Johnson Space Center; and the library’s namesake, Dr. Shannon Walker, via a greetings video.
