Calgary's long-awaited west LRT line will transform the neighbourhoods that border its eight-kilometre stretch – and mostly for the better, city officials say.

Scheduled to open in early 2013 after first being approved in 1988, the $1.4 billion project will bring LRT service to an area of the city expected to grow from its current population of 105,000 to approximately 120,000 in the next 20 years.

In the midst of Historic Calgary Week (July 27 – Aug. 6) , one of the city's most influential buildings as far as the oil industry, and one of the most memorable for theatregoers, announced it is shutting its doors for good.

"The Uptown has made the business decision to cease operations of the Uptown Stage and Screen and Marquee Room and is vacating the Barron Building," said The Uptown Stage and Screen on their Facebook page Aug. 1.

Calgary's commercial market is expected to continue at its brisk pace through 2012 according to a special report by TD Economics.

Commercial vacancy rates in the city currently sit at about 7.5 per cent, a number that is forecast to decrease to seven per cent in 2012. The current vacancy rate is a significant drop from 2010's posted 11.8 per cent vacancy. Industrial vacancy rates are even lower with a forecasted three per cent vacancy in 2012 compared to 3.1 in 2011.

There's a new form of ecofriendly transit for Calgary's Inner City residents, travellers and commuters these days and it comes in a small package.

The car sharing initiative car2go, a subsidiary of Daimler North America Corporation — that got its start in Austin, Texas — launched July 21, across the city 150 lowemission smart cars are available for Calgarians on the go.