Syracuse Mayor Ben Walsh says when he first took office, his goal was to see the city grow. He says new homes popping up in neighborhoods like Lincoln Hill, which has recently shown the challenges it faces, is the perfect example of what he had in mind.

“To be able to reinforce a neighborhood like this with two new, single-family, owner-occupied homes, I have a lot of pride," Walsh said. "It gets me excited about what’s to come."

In order to help lead those changes, Walsh will need to once again upset the "normal" politics applecart.

As an independent in a heavily Democratic leaning city, Walsh pulled off a victory in the city’s mayoral race four years ago.

He’s now hoping his experience and his willingness to work with both sides of the aisle allow him to see those changes through for another four years.

“As an independent, I’m in a unique position where I don’t have to worry about the party," Walsh said. "I only have to worry about what the people that I serve think."

With Tuesday’s primaries behind us, well, kind of, the attention can turn back to Walsh, who did not have a primary opponent.

It's a chance for him to continue voicing his thoughts on how he plans to try and fix the major issues the city is facing right now, such as taxes, illegal fireworks and transportation, as well as the future of Destiny USA and police reform.

“We’re on the right track," Walsh said. "We’ve made significant reforms to the police department. We’ve introduced new policies and rules, but what we heard loud and clear was more needs to be done and needs to be faster."

Walsh says he’s embraced the challenges of accelerating community relations and police accountability. It's a focus that Walsh says is only growing, like the entire city, not just Lincoln Hill.

“It gets me excited," Walsh added. "It gets me motivated, thinking about what we can accomplish with another four years."

Walsh says his plan will also heavily focus on infrastructure, building a foundation that will allow the city to grow the way he envisions it.

Walsh says 17 more homes on Shuart Avenue will be built by the end of the year, and around 200 homes to be built by the end of next year.

Correction: The number of homes set to be built by the end of 2022 was misstated during an event Wednesday, according to city officials. Two hundred homes will be built in Syracuse by the end of 2022, officials said Friday, not 50 as previously reported.