LIVE FROM CHICAGO'S AUSTIN NEIGHBORHOOD AS PART OF OUR SPECIAL EDITION OF IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD.

BRANDIS?

>> Reporter: AND PARIS, AFTER THAT TOUR THAT WE SHOWED YOU EARLIER, WE SAT DOWN WITH THE MAYOR-ELECT FOR A WIDE RANGING INTERVIEW ON EVERYTHING FROM WHY HE CHOSE TO MOVE TO AUSTIN TO RAISE HIS FAMILY TO HOW HE PLANS ON SELECTING THE NEXT SUPERINTENDENT.

>> MY FAMILY IS A PART, WE SETTLED HERE.

WE SPENT A LOT OF TIME GROWING UP HANGING OUT WITH COUSINS AND FAMILY.

DID A LOT OF CELEBRATIONS IN CHICAGO.

OF COURSE, MY FATHER IS A PASTOR SO WE WORSHIPED QUITE A BIT ON THE WEST SIDE.

SOUTH SIDE OF CHICAGO.

AS I GOT OLDER, WHAT'S UP Y'ALL?

>> HI BRANDON.

>> WHAT'S GOING ON?

>> IT WILL GET CONFUSING, BRANDON AND BRANDIS.

>> WHEN MY WIFE AND I KNEW THAT WE WERE FULFILLING OUR PURPOSE, YOU KNOW, WE KNEW THE WEST SIDE OF CHICAGO WOULD BE THE PLACE FOR US.

AND AUSTIN IS ONE OF THE MOST DYNAMIC NEIGHBORHOODS IN THE ENTIRE CITY.

THE HOUSING STOCK, THE GREEN LINE, THE BLUE LINE.

THE MAIN ARTERIES THAT MOVE THROUGH THE WEST SIDE OF CHICAGO.

THE AUSTIN NEIGHBORHOOD IN PARTICULAR.

>> Reporter: YOU WILL BE THE FIRST MAYOR OF CHICAGO TO COME FROM THIS NEIGHBORHOOD.

TO COME FROM THE WEST SIDE IN ABOUT A CENTURY.

HOW WILL THAT SHAPE AND INFLUENCE THE DECISIONS THAT YOU MAKE?

>> THERE IS NO SECRET THAT THE WEST SIDE OF CHICAGO HAS YET TO RECOVER IN TOTALITY FROM ONE OF THE MORE TRAUMATIC MOMENTS IN OUR CITY'S HISTORY.

AND YOU KNOW, WHEN REVEREND MARTIN LUTHER KING JR.

CAME TO THE WEST SIDE OF CHICAGO, HE EXPRESSED ALL OF THAT WHICH WAS CERTAINLY TUMULTUOUS.

BUT HE ALSO EXPRESSED WHAT WAS POSSIBLE.

SO I BELIEVE THE WEST SIDE OF THE CITY OF CHICAGO IS NOT JUST POSITIONED TO HELP PROVIDE DIRECTION FOR WHAT INVESTMENTS WILL MEAN, NOT JUST FOR THE WEST SIDE, BUT IT ALSO REFLECTS WHERE WE CAN PULL THE CITY OF CHICAGO TOGETHER REGIONALLY.

WE CERTAINLY ARE CLOSE TO THE LOOP.

THE CHALLENGES THAT WE HAVE ON THE WEST SIDE ARE NOT THAT MUCH DIFFERENT.

IN FACT, THEY ARE NOT THAT DIFFERENT THAN THE CHALLENGES THAT EXIST ON THE SOUTH SIDE OF CHICAGO.

SO THE WEST SIDE, ITS PROXIMITY TO DOWNTOWN AND THE WESTERN SUBURBS.

THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO PRACTICE REGIONAL.

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AS WELL.

AND SO, IT IS A GREAT PLACE TO LIVE AND RAISE A FAMILY.

DESPITE THE CHALLENGES.

AND AGAIN, I'M EAGER TO UNITE THE ENTIRE CITY AROUND THE VALUES OF COURSE IN WHICH I RAN ON AND WHAT I WAS ELECTED TO DO.

>> Reporter: THAT SAID, WAL-MART HAS ANNOUNCED THEY ARE CLOSING FOUR STORES.

WHOLE FOODS HAS LEFT.

WHAT IS YOUR REACTION TO THE CITY'S FOOD DESERTS AND YOUR PLAN TO ADDRESS THEM?

>> WELL LOOK.

WAL-MART HAS BEEN PREVIEWING THIS SHIFT FOR SOME TIME.

AND IT CERTAINLY IS UNFORTUNATE.

YOU KNOW.

AND WHAT I'M VERY MUCH COMMITTED TO IS WORKING WITH THE COMMUNITY.

BUSINESSES TO ENSURE THAT THESE HOLES THAT HAVE BEEN LEFT.

WE CAN FILL THEM AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE.

THIS IS NOT THE FIRST TIME OF COURSE THE CITY OF CHICAGO HAS EXPERIENCED THIS.

YOU REMEMBER, TWO ADMINISTRATIONS AGO, I BELIEVE IT WAS DOMINIQUE'S THAT DID THE SAME THING.

RIGHT?

SO I'M CONFIDENT THAT THIS IS STILL A PLACE THAT FRESH FOODS, I'M CONFIDENT THAT THE CITY OF CHICAGO IS A PLACE THAT ITS EMBRACE OF COMPANIES AND GROCERY STORES THAT WANT TO DO BUSINESS HERE IN THE CITY OF CHICAGO.

WE ARE GOING TO GO AFTER IT WITH ALL EXPEDIENCY.

>> Reporter: TOP OF YOUR TO-DO LIST, YOU HAVE TO PICK A NEW TOP COP.

WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING FOR IN THE PERSON WHO FILLS THAT ROLE AND CONSIDERING WHAT WE HEARD ACROSS THE CAMPAIGN, HOW DO YOU KNOW YOU WILL HAVE THE CONFIDENCE OF THE RANK AND FILE?

>> SO, HAVING SERVED IN THE CITY AS A RANK AND FILE WORKER, AS A TEACHER, I KNOW THE EXPERIENCES OF WHAT WORKERS GO THROUGH EVERY SINGLE DAY.

THEY ARE RAISING FAMILIES.

THEY WANT TO SERVE.

BUT YOU KNOW WHAT OFFICERS WANT?

THEY WANT TO KNOW WHAT THEIR ASSIGNMENT IS.

THEY WANT DIRECTION.

THEY WANT CLARITY OF WHAT IS EXPECTED OF THEM EVERY SINGLE DAY.

DOESN'T MEAN THAT OUR LAW ENFORCEMENT ISN'T NIMBLE AND FLEXIBLE TO DO THE TYPE OF WORK THAT I BELIEVE THE CITY OF CHICAGO UNFORTUNATELY HAVE NOT INVESTED ENOUGH IN.

WE ARE ASKING LAW ENFORCEMENT TO DO THEIR JOB AND SOMEONE ELSE'S.

FOR ME, THE SUPERINTENDENT HAS TO BE SOMEONE WHO UNDERSTANDS THE DESIRE OF THE RANK AND FILE MEMBERS WHO SERVE THIS CITY.

THEY ALSO HAVE TO UNDERSTAND THE DESIRES OF EVERYDAY RESIDENTS.

AND HOW DO WE MAKE SURE THAT THOSE DESIRES ARE WORKING IN TANDEM?

SO AS I HAVE HAD, COMPASSION, COLLABORATIVE, AND COMPETENT.

THAT'S WHAT THE NEXT SUPERINTENDENT, THEY HAVE TO POSSESS THOSE QUALITIES.

IN ORDER TO BUILD A BETTER, STRONGER SAFER CHICAGO.

>> WE ARE ALMOST OUT OF TIME.

BUT EVERYONE IS GOING TO WANT TO KNOW.

OBVIOUSLY, FORMER TEACHER AND VERY CLOSE TO THE CHICAGO TEACHER'S UNION.

YOU WORKED WITH HIM A GREAT DEAL AS WE DISCUSSED EARLIER.

STACEY DAVIS GATES INTRODUCED YOU AT YOUR OWN VICTORY PARTY THAT NIGHT.

HOW DO VOTERS, CITIZENS, HOW DO THE PEOPLE OF CHICAGO, PARENTS KNOW THAT YOU WILL BE INDEPENDENT OF THE CTU, PARTICULARLY WHEN IT COMES TIME TO RENEGOTIATE THAT CONTRACT NEXT YEAR?

>> AS I SAID AS I WAS RUNNING I WILL BE MAYOR OF THE CITY OF CHICAGO FOR EVERYONE.

THAT'S NOT THE ONLY CONTRACT THAT I WILL BE RESPONSIBLE FOR.

RIGHT?

AND SO I WILL TAKE THE SAME APPROACH WITH EVERY SINGLE CONTRACT.

THAT THOSE WHO DO THE WORK AND THOSE WHO RELY UPON THOSE SERVICES THAT OUR SYSTEMS REFLECT THE BEST PART OF THE CITY OF CHICAGO.

NOW OBVIOUSLY, I HAVE A FEE FEDUCIARY RESPONSIBILITY, THAT IT REFLECTS OUR VALUES AND IS DONE IN THE MOST RESPONSIBLE WAYS.

AND I'M CONFIDENT THAT WE WILL DO THAT.

AND HERE'S THE THING.

I'M A PARENT.

MY WIFE AND I SEND OUR CHILDREN TO THE CHICAGO PUBLIC SCHOOLS.

WHAT WE WANT CANNOT BE CONFINED TO A CONTRACT.

MY JOB AS MAYOR IS TO BUILD A BETTER SYSTEM WHERE NO MATTER WHERE YOU LIVE, WHETHER IT IS JEFFERSON PARK, MORGAN PARK, ANYWHERE ELSE IN BETWEEN, THAT WE HAVE FULLY FUNDED WELL ROUNDED SYSTEMS THAT PROVIDE THE TYPE OF SUPPORT THAT ALL OF OUR FAMILIES DESIRE.

I WILL WORK HARD EVERY SINGLE DAY TO MAKE SURE THAT WHAT I WANT FOR MY FAMILY, I WILL WORK TO MAKE SURE THAT EVERY SINGLE FAMILY HAS THOSE OPPORTUNITIES AS WELL.

>> Reporter: AND PARIS, AS YOU AND I KNOW, MAYOR-ELECT JOHNSON