There have been new developments surrounding a sprawling office complex that is slated to take up a large block near Portland and Wellington Streets, including some beautiful new renderings of what seems to be a modern, sustainable and architecturally innovative space.

As Toronto copes with the fact that many beloved establishments are being lost for the sake of high-rise residential condos, the news of a mid-rise commercial building that manages to avoid demolishing any cultural institution is a welcome breath of fresh air.

Portland Commons will be a LEED Gold Certified, 15-storey, 530,000 square-foot structure sitting at 530 Front Street, construction on which is due to commence this summer. Occupancy will start in 2023, though no pre-leases have been confirmed in the building yet, marking a bold move for the developer.

The project — which comes courtesy of Carttera Private Equities (the same people behind Google's new Toronto offices), WolfeCorp developments, Sweeny&Co Architects and others — will help to address the current shortage of office space in the city.

It will feature a variety of different sized offices, as well as shared outdoor collaborative spaces, an underground parking and bike garage, ground-floor retail and more.

The design boasts an innovative floorplan with floor-to-ceiling windows, terraces on multiple floors, dramatic cantilevers, and a green roof, all in a unique mixed glass-and-copper exterior that certainly doesn't hurt to look at.

Hopefully it will bring new life to an area that, despite being in the heart of downtown, is not as bustling or well-utilized as it could be.