Our review of 2022 moves into the summer months and can only begin in one place - the successful hosting of the Commonwealth Games.
Although Birmingham was branded as the host city, it was very much a West Midlands production with venues in Wolverhampton, Leamington Spa, Coventry, Solihull and even London all playing their part. The games marked the first time more medals for women's events than men's were handed out while the integrated para-sport programme was the largest ever.
And in November, it was announced that the 2026 European Athletics Championships would be held at Alexander Stadium, ensuring the legacy lives on.
Birmingham was named among six towns and cities on the shortlist to host the headquarters of a new body that will run the UK's railways.
It is bidding to become the new home of Great British Railways whose creation was announced in 2021 as part of reforms of the rail system which the Government hopes will remove the current fragmentation in the system. A decision on the location of its HQ is still to be announced.
There was a welcome boost to the West Midlands Metro tram network when the Westside extension in Birmingham city centre was completed just days before the start of the Commonwealth Games.
An additional three stops in Broad Street and Hagley Road opened for business, better connecting the Edgbaston district with the city centre and main railway stations.
It was one of several landmarks reached in the expansion of the West Midlands Metro, including the start of work to demolish the old McDonald's building in Dale End to connect Bull Street with HS2 and Digbeth. Not all of the tram work has proved a hit though with some business owners in Digbeth complaining about roadworks on High Street Deritend massively impacting footfall and hitting their trade.
The BBC announced in August that its Midlands operation would be leaving Birmingham's Mailbox complex - its home since 2004 - for a new base in the city's Digbeth district. The corporation has struck a deal to take over the former Typhoo Wharf factory as part of a wider revamp of the run-down site in Bordesley Street where it will house teams such as The Archers, Asian Network, Newsbeat and local radio and TV output.
A planning application was submitted in November by lead developer Stoford, with the aim of creating an 84,000 sq ft broadcasting centre.
A rail operator which runs key services across Birmingham and the wider West Midlands will be brought under UK ownership.
Abellio UK announced it had started the process of carrying out a management buyout from its state-owned, Dutch parent company Nederlandse Spoorwegen.
Abellio UK is the majority shareholder in a joint venture which owns and runs West Midlands Trains under two separate brands - West Midlands Railway and London Northwestern Railway - after winning the old London Midland franchise in 2017.
A large parcel of land in north Birmingham earmarked for almost 1,000 new houses was acquired. Housebuilder Bellway bought the 123-acre site at Langley in Sutton Coldfield which it hopes will pave the way for a new development of 950 homes east of the town centre.
The site forms around a fifth of the wider Langley Sustainable Urban Extension area where there are plans to deliver up to 5,500 homes which was approved recently.
Aston Villa revealed new imagery of plans to revamp their stadium in a £100 million project. The club says it wants to create a year-round destination with new commercial, retail, entertainment and community space called 'Villa Live'.
Other plans in phase one include a new North Stand wrapping into the Trinity Stand and enhancements to the existing Trinity Stand which will increase capacity by around 7,400 seats to over 50,000 which was approved in December.
The owner of engineering group GKN, Melrose Industries, announced in September that it was planning to demerge its automotive and powder metallurgy divisions from its aerospace arm into a separately listed company.
It is hoping to get shareholder approval for the move in the first half of 2023 and the newly demerged company will trade on the London Stock Exchange but Melrose will keep hold of the aerospace arm. GKN, whose automotive and aerospace divisions are now headquartered in Solihull, was acquired by Birmingham-based Melrose for £8.1 billion in 2018.
Designs were revealed for a 46-storey Birmingham apartment scheme.
Court Collaboration is behind the project which would see the multi-storey car park in Brindley Drive near to Library of Birmingham demolished to make for the new residential project.
The plans comprise two towers, of 15 and 46 storeys respectively, containing 581 one- and two-bedroom apartments to rent only alongside amenities for residents including a rooftop garden, co‑working space and a gym.
And finally for quarter three, Coventry & Warwickshire Local Enterprise Partnership announced it would cease functioning in 2023.
The business body has been supporting companies across the two areas for more than 11 years but announced it would close down by the end of March as part of plans under the Government's Levelling-Up White Paper for English LEPs to be integrated into local democratic institutions. CWLEP's board of directors met and agreed it would cease its functions instead.
