In his yearly address highlighting accomplishments while pushing a heavy agenda, Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr.’s seventh State of the Borough speech addressed more city matters than in previous addresses, further underscoring his ambition to run for Mayor of New York.

In the 44-minute speech, ripe with roughly 59 rounds of applause, Diaz took jabs at the city’s response to last year’s Legionnaire’s outbreak, its approach to its lofty rezoning plan, and made clear his support for charter schools, conflicting with the lukewarm take of Mayor Bill de Blasio.

Issues relating to the borough, of course, took center stage in his 20-page speech held at Cardinal Hayes High School. Reinforcing the long-running theme of development as a motif for progress, Diaz noted the $2 billion invested into the borough.

“[W]e are actively guiding the progress of the Bronx, and doing everything we can to ensure that the future is for everyone,” said Diaz.

That future came in support of more funding for tech-based firms in the Bronx, a borough whose tech sector is incredibly scarce when compared to Manhattan and Brooklyn. That included the opening of Doran Jones, an upstart software testing firm, an increase in computer science classes at Bronx schools, and an imminent release of a comprehensive report detailing how the Bronx can catch up to the rest of the city.

“There is no reason why we cannot be the next Silicon Valley,” said Diaz, earning several rounds of applause.

For the past year, Diaz’s profile has spiked with help from allies such as Governor Andrew Cuomo. Last year, the borough saw state funding of four Metro-North stations in the East Bronx, a project where he publicly thanked “my good friend, Governor Andrew Cuomo for his strong support and commitment to funding its completion.”

A raised profile allowed Diaz to cleverly use the Bronx as a platform to discuss citywide issues, a type of litmus test on how he would respond to issues should Diaz ever become Mayor. In some instances, Diaz hinted at some interest at becoming Mayor, explaining his strong stance on continued Mayoral control of schools for any future mayors, “whoever they might be.”

Education issues were mentioned, with some proposals, including a proposal for the New York City Department of Education to pay for remedial classes at city-funded colleges. “We cannot give diplomas to unprepared students and pass along the costs to them,” said Diaz. “The City should take responsibility for college readiness.”

On housing matters, Diaz pegged himself a champion of affordable housing by recalling the building of affordable housing in the South Bronx and starting a “Green Development Fund.” Though not mentioning him by name, Diaz once again took aim at de Blasio’s blanket rezoning plan, which received tough criticism by Bronx community boards in November.

“How can we dramatically alter something so profound as how our city is built with a broad stroke?” asked Diaz.

More housing, he says, can help reduce the issue of homelessness, laying out an agenda that would ask the city to “mandate apartments in new development of working people currently living in the shelter system.”

But absent in his speech were signature projects he once touted, including the Kingsbridge National Ice Center, a $348 million project that’s staggeringly lost steam in 2015, though showing recent signs of activity of late.

Diaz was unavailable for comments shortly after his speech, a departure from his usual practice of speaking with reporters following his address.