Ross’s 115,000-SF DTLA Lease: 7 Questions Before You Sign for Your Next Office

1. Does the space fit the way your business will operate?

Start with people, equipment and daily activities. Identify meeting rooms, quiet rooms, storage, collaboration areas, technology needs and any specialized functions. Ask your architect and the relevant authorities what approvals apply to that intended use; a real-estate label such as “creative office” is not a complete regulatory analysis.

Document your priorities before falling in love with a floor plan. A generous open area may still need substantial coordination to become a comfortable, functional office with the right circulation and support spaces.

2. What do the existing conditions actually support?

Request available record drawings and coordinate an appropriate site review. Ask about structural constraints, ceiling services, plumbing locations, electrical capacity and the condition of existing equipment. A drawing from a previous fit-out may be useful background without being an accurate record of today’s conditions.

Identify which assumptions require further investigation. A preliminary construction allowance should state those assumptions rather than silently treating unknown existing conditions as included and resolved.

3. Will the mechanical and electrical systems serve the new layout?

Enclosing meeting rooms, increasing equipment loads or changing how a space is used can introduce system-design questions. Have the appropriate designers review the layout, expected occupancy, ventilation, power and controls together. Ask who owns or maintains any shared building systems.

Avoid the shortcut of assuming that an existing operating office requires only finishes. The relevant issue is whether the proposed work and intended use fit the existing infrastructure and the project’s applicable requirements.

4. If outdoor or rooftop space is included, what use is approved?

The ROW report’s rooftop component is a useful reminder to look beyond a marketing amenity. For your own property, confirm what outdoor use is authorized and ask the design team about access, loads, guards, waterproofing and any proposed equipment or furniture.

An attractive roof is not automatically ready for every gathering or installation. Review the landlord’s rules and the authority’s requirements before treating a terrace as an unrestricted extension of the office program.

Sources: [1]

5. Who pays for each part of the improvement?

Review the lease and work letter with qualified advisers. Separate landlord-delivered conditions, tenant-funded work, allowances, reimbursements and owner-purchased items. Identify any deadlines or approval requirements affecting reimbursement.

Then compare that allocation with the proposed construction scope. A tenant-improvement allowance is a funding provision, not proof that all necessary work is covered. The budget should reflect the actual drawings, specifications and identified responsibilities.

6. What must happen before you can move in?

Map landlord approval, design completion, agency review, material procurement, construction, inspections and any applicable occupancy steps. Coordinate business-side tasks such as technology setup and furniture installation with that sequence.

Ask for the dependencies behind a schedule, not just a single duration. If drawings are incomplete or a delivery is unconfirmed, the plan should make that uncertainty visible before your old lease expiration becomes the only date driving decisions.

7. Are you comparing the same construction package?

CSLB advises consumers to check contractor information, references and written bids. For an office project, compare proposals against the same current design documents. Ask for clear exclusions, allowances, change procedures and responsibility for permits or owner-supplied equipment.

The useful next step is a defined scope, not a square-foot guess copied from an unrelated corporate lease. A smaller office may have very different systems, existing conditions and finish expectations from the project that made the news.

Sources: [2]