memorial theater. [applause] the city of owns and operates 4 brick and mortar culturalsenter buildings, all of which provide affordable access to high quality arts and culture in communities across the city. built in 1888, the bayview opera house played an incredible role in the ist history of the bayview and beloved by all of us. i want to acknowledge members who are here today who are champions of the building over the e years and arts in the bayview neighborhood. in the front row we have family members of [inaudible] ruth williams [inaudible] children and grandkids and joined by marry

booker. [applause and cheers] and mrs. doris [inaudible] and her family. [inaudible] welcome. on behalf of [inaudible] you are such incredible parts of making this a great space and arts qu culture hub and place for advancing racial justice in san francisco for years. [applause] we are thrilled to have mayor ed lee with us along with house democratic, nancy pelosi. assembly member david chui a great campion for the arts in sacramento. we have supervisor malia cohen. and i believe do we have supervisor scott wiener

here today? no. president breed was going to try to join us as well. we also have [inaudible] george gas gone. i'm also joined on the stage by reverend calvin [inaudible] [applause] director of san francisco public works, mohammed nuru. bayview opera house vise president theo [inaudible] [applause]. and also our brilliant landscape architects walter hood. [applause [. i want to ocknowledge the san francisco arts commissioner is. we have jd veltram in the audience . i

believe commissioner greg chui is with us. commissioner chuck collins. kimberley striker, thank you for all your work on behalf of the san francisco arts commission. i also see fellow colleagues here including [inaudible] department of environment. director elaine forbs joins by port commission vice president kimberley brandon and deputy director of [inaudible] civic engagement and immigrant affairs. police chief tony [inaudible] policy and government affairs for rec and parks department, alex randolph. board member and neighbor, hydra mendoza and parks commissioner eric

mcdonald is here. thank you for coming and being supporters of this project. there are so many people to thank and so bear with me. we have [inaudible] to realize the transformation of the beautiful plaza and osaddress the less visible but improvement tooz the building itself. the project architects walter hood and paul cooper, amy elliott [inaudible] give them a round of applause. [applause] i also want to thank project consultant deborah [inaudible] other members of the project team is [inaudible] elliott who i believe is here with us today. i also want to acknowledge john updike from department of real estate. he is a incredible partner.

[inaudible] vision of access to quality, words spoken by late colleagues carla johnson for mayors office of disability. [inaudible] the mayors office of disability was a champion of the project from the beginning and carla was here every day by our side make tg happen so today we remember her. [applause] i want to thank [inaudible] colleagues also from mayors office of disability [inaudible] john paul scott. [applause] next i like to thank colleagues at the capical planning committee for all your support for all cultural centers [inaudible]

brian strom and staff from john updikes team [inaudible] i want to thank the city partner recollect public works and san francisco municipal transportation authority, mayors office of housing [inaudible] economic and workforce development. clearly the project was a city wide family effort and could want couldn't have done it with all you. there is generous support from kaiser permanente and [inaudible] here to celebrate. next and bear with me, this afs very big team work ong this project and can pass it [inaudible] executive director of bayview opera house, barbara

[inaudible] [applause and cheers]. thank you barbara for everything you do every dayism we look forward handing the keys to you next month and you can come and open the doors every day [inaudible] lastly i want to thank colleagues at the arts commission who couldn't be here today because he is celebrating her daughters wedding back east, judy [inaudible] does a incredible job. [inaudible] which wh i came on board 4 years ago and it was [inaudible] judy has been the greatest champion and all the arts commission staff that are such a honor work wg every day and [inaudible] of the arts in san francisco. thank you arts commission staff, can you please raise your hand? i know many are here today. thank you. we

made it through the thank you's and i assure i won't be [inaudible] it is my great pleasure and [inaudible] reverend calvin jones junior from [inaudible] thank you again. [applause] >> [inaudible] let's hold hands. thank you god. god we thank you for the time together and ask you to bless this occasion and lord, work and people that have put time in down through the years, we just thank you god for your grace and mercy. let this be a time where we can come together during the god times in our liferbs and even during difficult times in the city we can come together and see what

god you have in mine for each one of us. continue to bless those in leadership and god, ask that you touch those that are being locked up, too many young people going away. help us and let us use our creative energy [inaudible] >> amen. >> god bless you. >> and now it is my great honor to introduce a true champion of the cultural center, somebody who made a great investment in the city over a life time, mayor ed lee. [applause] >> welcome to the bayview! well, i am so glad to join all you on this moment. i know

today is a soft opening, but walter and mr. cooper gave a walk through of this restored gem-you have done a magnificent job. the whole entire team-i know tom went through all that, let me say thank you to everybody but most especially. -you know how much we spent on this center? it is serious money! serious money! like $5 million. that is serious money. why? because this is a serious center. it is a bit of historicsenter. more than community history, it has been family history. i can just imagine a few decades ago [inaudible] running around

listening to the [inaudible] get sent out here and say, one of these days i will work at hrc and be a part of the city. i know tim said that because he was singing those songs when we were working at hrc 25 years ago telling me about the history of the community and how much his mother and family were contributors to this. it is family history along with community history. that's why it is serious investment. we are also making serious investments in the entire bayview along [inaudible] thanks to the leadership of malia cohen and others who led the way to inform us about the linkage that we have. this is a center of seriousness because i have been here when it was locked up. when it was-you have to go through locked

doors to get from one place to the other. now we have a floating canvas where the kids go from the theater, from the historic flooring that have above it some really nice historic play house theater type of lights. you can say i can sing here, even though i can't sing. you want to be here to perform because this is where the youth will be really inspired with what the board is doing, what the directors are doing with the programming that is about to come forth hopefully in september when we officially open this up. you wim be proud of this investments. we are making investments not just in buildings but the people of the neighborhood. as i often said, we are not making new promises, we are all together carrying out promises of investing in

the neighborhood. this is the bayview and promised when we built [inaudible] we will invest in more. this is another part. you have a new branch library and have more to come because the commitment we made investing in people at a important time because we can afford the investments and need to make it now and build more affordable housing and prevent evictions and help the homeless and make sure the police department is working for the community to do all the right things in public safety and da included. all this works together so this investment means something for people. that is why i'm here today to show my gratitude for the entire team from the board to the director to all the groups working together and to officially declare on this day july 20 to be bayview opera

house, ruth williams memorial theater day in san francisco! [applause and cheers] ruth williams [inaudible] with this i take incredible honor and pleasure to introduce the next speaker. you all know her. she is a champion for our city, a champion for bayview, someone i know that if we got a chance in this country to bring her back she will be our dem ocratic leader, nancy pelosi. [applause]. >> thank you very much thank you for your time and for your great leadership of our city and focus on the bayview. i am very honored to be with all you. i was really looking forward to being here but didn't realize it would be on

the very day. i always say, why don't you tell us earlier in the day so we can park around here without getting a ticket. [laughter]. anyway, it is really wonderful to be with all of you and to pay tribute to ruth williams. [inaudible] official family of san francisco. [inaudible] ruth williams family thank you for sharing this enthuse amp asm. carla johnson [inaudible] judge people not-[inaudible] what they can do not judge for what they cannot do. the physical accessibility is something very very important

and it really is a example to the world when you see the accessibility here. that accessibility is one part of the accessibility. the accessibility to the yung people of this area to demonstrate what is inside of them in terms of the arts. that unleashes them with who they are to be who they are and not to be judged by who they are not. so many moms in bayview and hunters point and all over, when i go places, they say police support the arts for our children. it is a place where they gain confidence and enjoy work and learn they can do other things, where they find their creative spirit. that contribution is so important. this place is not only physically accessible,

but spiritially accessibility as well. i'm very proud of [inaudible] the mayor put $5 million and we put in the first $200 thousand and barbara told me without the floor nothing else [inaudible] some of us were together 10 years goy when we celebrated [inaudible] i can say to my colleagues in wash ington it wasn't just about transportation but economic growth of the community and now the spiritially and intellectual and cultural life of the community. this is really a cause for great celebration. it is a recognition the arts are central to who we are as a country. [inaudible] over and over again, but more importantly and more personally to everyone here, lets the art

sing to the community. [inaudible] every time we come here, one of the [inaudible] always say our community has the word unity in it. it brings us together. a person who works very very hard to bring us all together newly wed supervisor [inaudible] she is a champion for bayview hunters point and housing and fairness and safety in the community, the list goes on and on. [inaudible] how beautifully she spoke about the opera house inside and we'll hear that now. it gives me great pleasure to take the opportunity to recognize the leadership of your supervisor, malia cohen.

[applause] >> well, by god, if you take a moment and take it all in,-- [applause] you think about what [inaudible] it is more than just a day of celebration that we are recognizing in san francisco. for those that grew up here, you know what the opera house means. [applause] the opera house was a safe

space for people when they were rioting. the opera house was a safe space for school kids to come here. the opera house was a safe space for seniors to come and congregate. you know what the beautiful thing is about today? is that it bayview opera house will remain all of this. this is tremendous. you see the people on the stage before you? this is our gift to all of you. when i look out here you know what i see? generation upon generations of people that raised their families, that have been champions fighting [inaudible] i want to take a

moment and pay the respect to the [inaudible] to the beautiful namly family of ruth williams, thank you very much. [applause] [inaudible] given us more than just a name to put on a historic building, she gave us a vision and she gave us a place where we can continue to teach and pass down our culture and pass on that vision. i want to recognize mary booker who kept [inaudible] alive and strong. [applause]. taught people how to act and how to project their voice and have stage presence and having stage presence is more than just being center stage. when you walk into a room you walk with your head held high and that is what mary booker taught us.

[inaudible] that was right there with her. when i look in the audience i see so many service providers people who dedicated their lives whether working through the bayview hunters point foundation or [inaudible] or ministry on the plaza. [inaudible] everyone has a continued role making bayview hunters point more than a point on the map. this is a destination and home and community with real culture and traditions we will pass on from one generation to another. we are here to celebrate a wonderful day and historic absolute beautiful building and want to recognize the many talented people who made this come to fruition. it is always important to respond and respect and acknowledge those

people who contributed beyond cht we need to recognize carla johnson who is still giving from the grave. she passed in the completion of the project and donated a sizable portion to the opera house. she was a city employee. [applause] [inaudible] bar people with disabilities to having access to this building and so this building is so center-center piece of the entire community. when you think about the construction we facilitated here in this building. ang leak thompson, belva davis are in the audience and facilitate being healthy. there are

tremendous amount of people that deserve to be recognized. i want to recognize sister linda harrison who is [inaudible] [applause]. it is absolutely important we connect the dots of once people have left a [inaudible] it is how [inaudible] we are connecting the dots and make sure bayview hunter point get a piece of that action. we will build a program to connect [inaudible] right here to this building so we have our own state of the arts arts exhibit right here. you already heard recognition from barbara occul and bayview opera house board of directors

but you know who else was pushed to the way side? i know you know him? how many know [inaudible] i don't know where he is but this is the man who opens up the building and closes the building and walks you to your car and cleans up what is left behind. this is a true gentlemen that had our back in this community. he is a unsung hero and asks for very little recognition. [inaudible] [applause] this opera house has been a place where people have come together to advocate for issues, important issues impacting our communities and that is what this opera house will symbolize from now for the next hundred years moving forward. we will be stronger and blessed by this and our responsibility to keep

it in the community and keep it for us. thank you. [inaudible] supervisor of district 10. [applause] >> thank you supervisor. i want to acknowledge supervisor cohen fl her ongoing support. she committed a number of [inaudible] for the operation. third on third and continuing to make sure the programs here thrive. thank you so much. [applause]. next is great pleasure to introduce a city partner we could not have done this without who works in all the cultural centers to make sure they are up to code and community ready and that is director of public works, mohammed nuru. [applause]. >> i am very excited and proud to be part of this project as public works director and

long time resident of bayview. this is where i raised my children and where i start my day, this is where i end my day. i'm right up the street here so i'm very happy this project has come to fruition of many years of work we have all been putting together to get to this stage. the bayview opera house is a community gem in our community. this is our neighborhood [inaudible] if you can feel the excitement i have, [inaudible] when we talk about san francisco, those from bayview this is our spot right here! [applause]. the work we have done here in san francisco will continue to make this building serve many more generations to come. as our neighborhoods evolve, it is important to preserve buildings like this to remind us of our

history. at this time [inaudible] from our team, one of our partners with sfmta, director riscon, [inaudible] they were very instrumental helping bringing this project to fruition. please give them a hann. from public works, city architect, [inaudible] lopez [inaudible] who is on site every day. [applause]. janet [inaudible] they were all part of so many people coming together to make this project. please give them a hand. a couple things about the project. while we sit out here and enjoy the garden and stage and all the other places, there

a lot of details and work that went into it preserving the building. an the other side from the ground level to the top was rebuilt while trying to keep the building together. the building is no very accessible and has 3 bathrooms, all of them are accessible. the stage is has a ramp that you can go in and someone in a wheelchair can actually be on stage and many many of the [inaudible] garden and hear a lot about the guard squn what the design of the garden is and how it came about. you all know, behind every successful project team there is architects and electricians, fire marshal and all kinds of people, so today [inaudible] i want to send all these people,

so many of them for all the great work and contributions they have done to make this preservation possible. at this time, i t is also my pleasure to introduce a board member vise president of bayview opera house. she was born and raised in bayview and served on many city commissions and volunteer groups and serves as director of public affairs for our own golden state warriors, please welcome [inaudible] [applause and cheers] >> thank you. i was expecting [inaudible] good evening. this is great. i woke up this morning and was thinking about what i would say and they said i have two minutes and i was

going to come up and say it is about time and walk off stage. many of you have seen this building transform, many have seen the neighborhood transform, but i'm excited because i can officially welcome to the bayview opera house, ruth williams memorial theater. [applause]. i want to particularly thank members of the community because this is your facility as much as it is ours on stage. as malia mentioned this is gift to bayview hunters point and the rest of the city of san francisco and i'm proud to be a part of that process. so, there has been a lot of build up to this event and as i was reflecting on this i tried to think of my earliest memory of the bayview opera house. when you talk about history and preservation, one person that comes to mind is my grandfather who raised me. he migrated

from the south, punchsed a property on third and [inaudible]-you remember? and he put all his family in the property. the one vivid memory i have is he would walk [inaudible] pick me up from the opera house and save me from ballet class and [inaudible] it is those moments that shape me. if you look where we are standing to my left you have [inaudible] you have joseph lee jim, 3 strong institutions,

cultural institutions, educational institutions in the physical fitness recreation center. 3 vital things i think the community needs and 3 vital things that shape the community and 3 things that we need to thrive. all that to say, that we all have-we take the personal responsibility to make sure that there is arts and culture in the facility and not only preserve the long standing history of many folks who come before me but also welcoming the new folks moving to a neighborhood and embracing bayview hunters point as their home. this journey will officially begin-i will say this date, september 17th. you can hold us accountable. [applause]. [inaudible] if you are on the board of directors

for the opera house, please raise your hand. [applause] [inaudible] who works tirelessly for this moment and will continue to work tirelessly for the program and for this community. judy [inaudible] who is not here today. she is for the past 10 years has made this her top priority. supervisor cohen, when she speaks, when she says she is for the community, she means it. she walks the walk each and every day and we appreciate that. mayor lee, continuing on the promises that he addressed and i appreciate that and [inaudible] leader pelosi, you are absolutely right it started with 200 thousand$200 thousand investment and built this from the ground up and appreciate

that. how many people with a show of hands are ateneded event or taken a class or participated in a program? keep your hands up because i have another question. this is not the end, this is just the beginning of something special and we need your commitment and need you to volunteer your time. hands are going down-[laughter]. we need donations. we need board members and staff. this is the beginning and hope all you can come on this journey with us and i appreciate it so much. [applause] before i leave, i need to introduce walter hood. walter came to had bayview opera house about two years ago? three years ago and i remember the first meeting. it was chair and microphone. a

meeting with chairs and micro phone in the bayview is unpredictable to say the least, but walter listened and carried the vision out that was for the community and you don't get that all the time. walter, you appreciate you and we thank you. [applause] >> good afternoon everyone. don't hold it against me, i'm from oakland [inaudible] [applause] the next thing i like to say, [inaudible] do fantastic things. i just saw a young man on a scooter come up the stairs and come along the ramp and he came [inaudible]

all of our kids should be able to experience all these landscapes. hopefully in his mind this is not something [inaudible] i like to thank [inaudible] [applause] [inaudible] this takes a village to make these projects. we only have 5 or 6 good projects [inaudible] you think 5 projects in 30 years and i loick like to say it will be great to have this project [inaudible] i want to come back and [inaudible] i want to see performances out here. [inaudible] the building does

not [inaudible] thank you for giving us that mission and allowing us [inaudible] [applause] >> just one step away from the big moment of the ribbon cutting. i want to show a couple acknowledges. supervisor wiener has joined us. [applause]. and i believe [inaudible] give a big round of applause for all [inaudible] thank you so much for your leadership. i want to do two things, there will be tours available for [inaudible] are going to give tours. if you

are interested after the ribbon cutting [inaudible] there will be tours for community members and get information about the accessibility features. the new bathrooms on the downstairs level will allow young people to go to the restroom without going all the way around. this is a [inaudible] at the bayview opera house. i like to invite some the neighborhood young people that are here today to come on stage to join us for the ribbon cutting. can we get some the young people here? come on stage. [applause and cheers]. this >> if you are a bayview opera house board member please join us. our elected officials hydra mendoza and [inaudible] join us up on stage, please. i need you to help us count down

from 10. are we all ready? alright. please join me counting back. 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1. [applause and cheers] please stay and enjoy refreshments.