Part four of our review of 2023 showcases the final three months of the year and kicks off with the hugely controversial news that the northern leg of high-speed rail project HS2 was sensationally cancelled.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak chose October's Conservative Party Conference, ironically being held in Manchester, to tell that city and the nation the money would be spent on local transport projects instead.
The second phase was due to run between Birmingham, Crewe and Manchester and its cancellation brought widespread condemnation from all corners.
It was later reported the West Midlands would get £2.75 billion in capital for transport projects as result of the HS2 being curtailed, including for the Midlands Rail Hub scheme to improve services across the wider Midlands.
There was another twist in the long-running story of Birmingham's Smithfield project. Revised designs were unveiled for the £1.9 billion project following complaints from government body Historic England.
The new-look proposals focus on public realm and commercial buildings and have also been brought forward due to changes related to fire safety in residential buildings above 59 feet tall.
Earlier this year, Historic England hit out at the Smithfield plans, saying they would harm the historic cityscape and disturb significant medieval remains as the site is regarded as Birmingham's birthplace.
It was another busy year for Birmingham's £1.2 billion Paradise estate as the third office building was officially launched in October.
Called One Centenary Way, it has been constructed over the A38 tunnel on the site of the old Adrian Boult Hall which was once home to Birmingham Conservatoire. The building is 13 storeys and has 280,000 sq ft of space, including bar and restaurant uses on the ground floor and a terrace overlooking Centenary Square.
It was confirmed that the development of two railway stations on the Walsall to Wolverhampton line could continue following a deal with a new contractor.
Ground preparation works at the Willenhall and Darlaston railway station sites was paused after the main construction contractor Buckingham Group went into administration in August. Construction and infrastructure group Kier then struck a deal with Transport for West Midlands to acquire the group's rail contracts, meaning work could resume.
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One of Birmingham's most-recognisable and famous buildings was placed on sale in November. A marketing process was launched for the Mailbox with a hefty price tag "in excess of £120 million".
The owners are facing an interesting few years as they prepare to lose one of the building's largest tenants - BBC Midlands - which is relocating to a new home in Digbeth.
Transport chiefs announced plans to spend £18 million on installing a temporary tram stop in Birmingham city centre as they await progress on the new Curzon Street HS2 station.
The stop is set to open in the next three years outside the Clayton Hotel to serve customers using the tram extension running from Bull Street.
Known as the Eastside extension, it will eventually connect the city centre with the new HS2 station and Digbeth but the temporary stop is being created while Birmingham awaits for the handover of the Curzon Street site.
Birmingham's iconic Snobs nightclub will be on the move again soon. The legendary venue announced it had struck a deal to take over the former Velvet Music Rooms pub, in Broad Street, which itself closed at the end of October after 19 years in business.
The future of Snobs' current home in Hurst Street has hung in the balance ever since 2016 when its landlord CEG first announced demolition and regeneration plans for the Ringway Centre, the vast sweeping structure in Smallbrook Queensway where it is a tenant.
Speculation over the future of Birmingham Wheels Raceway park was at least somewhat quelled after the city council lodged plans to turn it into an industrial estate.
Although at a very early stage, preliminary proposals suggest demolishing existing buildings on the site and creating four new development zones which could eventually have 895,000 sq ft of warehousing.
The council, which owns the site in Bordesley Green, said the project would create up to 3,000 new jobs and trainee positions.
Rounding off our review of 2023 is the news that a new charter aimed at helping women feel safer at night in the West Midlands has been introduced.
Mayor Andy Street and Alex Claridge, Birmingham chef and new night-time economy adviser, are encouraging councils, businesses, hospitality venues and other organisations to sign up.
The Women's Night Safety Charter is said to be the first of its kind in the region and sets out guidance across seven key areas including positive communications campaigns online and in venues, support for staff to report unacceptable behaviour at work and training.
