Recreational swimmers left high and dry by closures of pools around Calgary's core may find a new home at the Repsol Sport Centre.

The Macleod Trail S.E. facility will undergo a major expansion following a decision by city council in June to commit $45 million toward new leisure aquatic facilities.

While downtown Calgary struggles with an office vacancy rate nearing 30 per cent, a unique "campus" development in the heart of the Beltline is seeing success.

It's not a spot where you would normally expect to find a recreational space. Yet, Flyover Park, located under the overpass that links westbound Memorial Drive to 4^th Ave S.E. and the East Village, is the newest addition to Calgary's parks system.

City eyes the future with 17th Avenue facelift

Whether you're a person or a stretch of pavement, 30 years of hard labour can take its toll. When you're as heavily travelled as 17th Avenue S.W., the effect is multiplied. That's why the City of Calgary, armed with a $44 million budget, is giving much of the area a facelift. From Macleod Trail to 14th Street S.W., the City is upgrading utilities, rebuilding the road and improving pedestrian areas to pave the way for future use.

"This began as simply a road construction project," said Ryan Murray, a spokesperson for the City of Calgary's transportation department. "After 30 years, it was time to dig down and rebuild the foundation of 17th Avenue. We decided that while we were down there, we should make the most of it by upgrading old utilities and rebuilding the road."