Office Building ADA Compliance in Century City
126 office buildings across 6 commercial corridors. With 83.3% of buildings constructed before 1990 and an average build year of 1973, Century City office buildings face significant ADA compliance challenges.
Century City has 126 office buildings, 83.3% built before 1990 (avg. year 1973), concentrated along Avenue of the Stars. Office Building ADA litigation risk is moderate in Century City, with settlements reaching $5M — non-compliant accessible parking spaces is the leading trigger. Century City's 10.8% disability rate and 13.4% senior population create above-average demand for accessible office buildings. Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety (LADBS) oversees ADA compliance for Century City's office buildings, with 4 local programs supporting accessibility upgrades.
Office Building Building Stock in Century City
Century City's Avenue of the Stars corridor has 83.3% pre-1990 office buildings with an average build year of 1973, making non-compliant accessible parking spaces especially common.
An analysis of office building properties in Century City, including building age, square footage, and key commercial corridors.
126
Office Building Properties
53.19M
Total Sq Ft
83.3%
Built Before 1990
1973
Avg Year Built
Typical Era: 1960s-1980s
Key Corridors
Avenue of the Stars
Century City's primary office spine running north-south through the district core, lined with landmark high-rises dating from the 1960s-1980s buildout. Concentrates the district's tallest towers and highest-profile tenant destinations. Pre-1990 towers exhibit elevated plazas with stepped entries, indirect accessible routing to ramped side entries, inconsistent elevator modernization (cab dimensions, door timing, audible/visual signals), and legacy door hardware. The visitor desire line is often stepped while the accessible route detours—a litigation risk when wayfinding is poor.
Century Park East / Century Plaza Cluster
Home to the Century Plaza Towers (1975, ~2.3M SF twin office towers), the Fairmont Century Plaza hotel (1966, reopened 2021 as part of a $2.5B mixed-use redevelopment with 400 rooms), and Century Park Plaza office building (1972, 373,900 SF). This cluster concentrates the district's largest pre-1990 floor area. ADA risk centers on campus-scale routing between towers, hotel, structured parking, and passenger loading zones. Elevated plazas, porte-cochère grade transitions, and legacy garage-to-lobby accessible routes are recurring compliance concerns.
Constellation Boulevard / Century City North Core
The Century City North Specific Plan area between Santa Monica Blvd (north) and Constellation Blvd (south) concentrates high-rise office towers and the regional retail center. Buildings from the 1960s-1980s dominate. ADA risk clusters at pedestrian corridors with grade-separated elements (walkways/crossings creating route continuity, ramp slope, and detectable warning issues), office lobby vestibules with revolving-door entries requiring adjacent powered swing doors, and older parking structures with non-compliant access aisle widths and indirect routes to elevators. Active Metro D Line station construction is reshaping pedestrian routing with station completion anticipated spring 2027.
Showing corridors most relevant to Office Buildings. 6 total corridors in Century City.
Notable Buildings
1901 Avenue of the Stars
1901 Avenue of the Stars
Built 1968
492,139 sq ft
1900 Avenue of the Stars
1900 Avenue of the Stars
Built 1970
Century Plaza Towers (twin towers)
2029-2049 Century Park East
Built 1975
2,300,000 sq ft
2121 Avenue of the Stars
2121 Avenue of the Stars
Built 1987
970,000 sq ft
Century Park Plaza
Century Park East
Built 1972
373,900 sq ft
Fairmont Century Plaza
2025 Avenue of the Stars
Built 1966
ADA Litigation Risk for Office Building in Century City
With a moderate litigation risk and settlements reaching $5M, office buildings in Century City face significant ADA exposure — Office buildings classified purely as "commercial facilities" under ADA Title III face substantially lower litigation ri….
Litigation Risk Level
moderate
Office buildings classified purely as "commercial facilities" under ADA Title III face substantially lower litigation risk than retail, restaurant, or hospitality properties. The ADA explicitly defines commercial facilities as "privately owned, nonresidential facilities such as factories, warehouses, or office buildings". Unlike public accommodations, commercial facilities are **not** subject to the ongoing "readily achievable barrier removal" obligation. Their compliance duties arise primarily in connection with new construction or alterations. That said, the accessible path from parking through the lobby, elevators, restrooms, and common areas on every occupied floor must comply with ADA Standards and CBC 11B whenever new construction occurs or alterations are made. Multi-tenant buildings introduce layered liability: under *Botosan v. Paul McNally Realty* (9th Cir. 2000), both the landlord and tenant carry concurrent ADA obligations, and lease provisions allocating responsibility to tenants do not absolve the landlord. Conversely, under *Kohler v. Bed Bath & Beyond* (9th Cir. 2015), tenants are generally not liable for ADA violations in areas controlled exclusively by the landlord, such as shared parking lots.
Typical Settlement Range
$1,000 – $5,150,000
Most Targeted Property Types
Plaintiff Firms Targeting Office Buildings
| Firm | Focus | Volume |
|---|---|---|
| Employee vs. Visitor Plaintiff Patterns | ||
| Landlord-Targeted vs. Tenant-Targeted Lawsuits |
The distinction between employee and visitor claims is critical for office buildings: - Title I (Employment): Employees and applicants at workplaces with 15 or more employees are protected under ADA Title I, which requires reasonable accommodations in the workplace.
Serial plaintiffs—who account for a disproportionate share of California's ADA filings—overwhelmingly target public-facing businesses such as restaurants, gas stations, and retail stores.
ADA Violations & Risk Profile for Office Buildings
Non-Compliant Accessible Parking Spaces
Parking garage or surface lot spaces have excessive slopes/cross-slopes, improper dimensions, or faded striping. This is the #1 violation statewide with 1,755 instances (15.96% of all violations).
The accessible route from parking to the building entrance is the single most-litigated area in California ADA cases, with parking-related violations occupying three of the top ten positions statewide. For office building parking garages, the route must include: Properly dimensioned and signed accessible spaces (including van-accessible) Compliant slopes and cross-slopes Detectable warning surfaces at vehicular-way crossings An accessible path with proper width (36 inches minimum, 48 inches preferred), lighting, and curb ramps connecting to the lobby entrance
Inaccessible Exterior Path of Travel
Routes from parking lot or public right-of-way to the building entrance have non-compliant surfaces, excessive slopes, or lack detectable warnings. Recorded 1,197 instances (10.89%).
Missing or Non-Compliant Parking Signage
Accessible parking spaces lack proper International Symbol of Accessibility signs, van-accessible designations, or tow-away signage at entrances. Recorded 1,074 instances (9.77%).
Non-Compliant Counter/Surface Heights
Reception desks, lobby counters, and sign-in areas exceed maximum height requirements (34 inches max for accessible portions). Recorded 1,035 instances (9.41%).
Non-Compliant Exterior Ramps and Stairs
Building entrance ramps exceed 1:12 slope ratio, lack compliant landings, or are missing handrails and edge protection. Recorded 894 instances (8.13%).
Interior Path-of-Travel Obstructions
Objects project into accessible corridors (wall-mounted displays, fire extinguisher cabinets, planters) reducing clearance below the 80-inch head height or beyond the 4-inch protrusion limit. Recorded 644 instances (5.86%).
Non-Compliant Van-Accessible Spaces and Loading Zones
Office building parking facilities lack van-accessible spaces with 96-inch-wide access aisles, or loading zones are missing or noncompliant. Recorded 498 instances (4.53%).
Non-Compliant Restroom Entry Doors
Restroom doors have non-compliant thresholds, inaccessible hardware (round knobs instead of lever handles), or insufficient maneuvering clearance. Recorded 394 instances (3.58%) and rising—this violation moved from 11th place in 2023 to 9th in 2024.
$4,000 (Cal. Civ. Code §52)
Unruh Civil Rights Act statutory minimum damages per violation
10,773,117 SF across ~20 professional office buildings
Century City office inventory (buildings >50K SF)
42 years (typical vintage ~late 1970s)
Average age of Century City office buildings (as of 2019)
~75–85%
Estimated share of commercial floor area built before 1990
88 identified buildings (LADBS 2018)
Non-ductile concrete buildings in Council District 5 (includes Century City)
A CASp (Certified Access Specialist) inspection provides the strongest available litigation shield under California law. Property owners who obtain a CASp inspection qualify for Qualified Defendant status under Cal. Civ. Code §55.51, which triggers a 90-day automatic court stay upon being sued, an early evaluation conference, and eligibility for a 75% reduction in statutory damages—from the $4,000 Unruh minimum down to $1,000 per violation under Cal. Civ. Code §55.56. This structured mitigation pathway converts ADA risk from an unpredictable liability into a manageable, documented compliance process.
Cost vs. Risk for Office Buildings in Century City
With office building ADA settlements in Century City ranging from $1K to $5M and 8 documented violation categories, a proactive CASp inspection is the most cost-effective protection.
A CASp inspection costs a fraction of a single ADA lawsuit settlement.
Inspection Cost
$2,000–$4,000
4-6 hours on-site
Typical Settlement
$1K–$5M
Based on Century City data
Protection Value
1:4
Return on compliance investment
Who Needs Accessible Office Buildings in Century City
Century City's 10.8% disability rate and 13.4% senior population create high demand for accessible office buildings.
10.8%
Residents with Disabilities
13.4%
Residents 65+
73,065
Veterans
Accessible workplaces are required to accommodate employees and visitors with disabilities.
Building Department & Permit Requirements
Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety (LADBS) in Century City oversees ADA compliance for 126 office buildings — CBC Chapter 11B (California Building Standards Code); LADBS plan check applies 11B framework for commercial alterations.
Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety (LADBS)
City of Los Angeles jurisdiction — Century City is a neighborhood within LA, not an independent city. LADBS handles building permits and code plan review; LA Department of City Planning handles zoning/Specific Plan clearances.
| Current accessibility code | CBC Chapter 11B (California Building Standards Code); LADBS plan check applies 11B framework for commercial alterations |
| Path-of-travel trigger | CBC Section 11B-202.4 — alterations affecting an area of primary function trigger accessible path-of-travel upgrades (entrance, route, restrooms, parking) |
Local Programs & Resources
4 local programs
Safe Sidewalks LA Rebate Program
City of Los Angeles program offering rebates for sidewalk repairs, including accessibility-related work. Subject to funding limits and waitlist-style constraints—private projects should not rely on rebates to offset right-of-way accessibility costs without confirming current availability.
LA County Small Business Mobility Fund
Los Angeles County Department of Economic Opportunity program supporting improvements that may include accessibility and mobility-related upgrades for small businesses. Subject to eligibility requirements and funding rounds.
License #991
State-Certified Accessibility Specialist
Built Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center
MS Structural Engineering · Tutor Perini
Qualified Defendant Status
Reduces statutory damages 75% with 90-day litigation stay
Jose Rubio
Certified Access Specialist
CASp #991Jose Rubio brings over 15 years of structural engineering and construction experience to every CASp inspection. He built Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center with Tutor Perini and holds an MS in Structural Engineering.
View full credentials →Frequently Asked Questions
Protect Your Century City Office Building
Schedule a CASp inspection and activate Qualified Defendant status under California Civil Code §55.56.