Chevron Place Helipad

The closure was primarily due to economic and logistical reasons tied to the changing corporate footprint of its owner and operator, Chevron. Over several years, Chevron significantly downsized its workforce in downtown New Orleans, relocating many employees and key operations to its campus in Covington, Louisiana, and later moving its Gulf of Mexico business unit headquarters to Houston, Texas. This consolidation drastically reduced the need for a private helipad to transport executives directly to the downtown office. The high costs associated with maintenance, insurance, and FAA compliance for a rooftop helipad in a dense urban area became unjustifiable given its diminished use. In 2018, a year after the helipad's closure, Chevron sold the building at 935 Gravier Street, further cementing the helipad's permanent decommissioning.

The physical site of the helipad still exists on the roof of the 21-story office building at 935 Gravier Street, which is still commonly known as the 'Chevron Building'. Satellite imagery shows the painted 'H' and landing circle remain visible on the rooftop. However, the facility is completely decommissioned, non-operational, and no longer certified by the FAA for aviation use. The building itself is a multi-tenant commercial office tower, and the roof space where the helipad is located now serves only to house HVAC units and other standard building infrastructure.

Chevron Place Helipad was a private-use facility that served as a symbol of corporate power and logistical efficiency during the peak of the oil and gas industry's presence in New Orleans. Its primary function was to provide rapid and direct transport for Chevron's senior executives and high-priority personnel. It allowed them to bypass ground traffic, flying between the downtown headquarters and regional airports like Louis Armstrong New Orleans International (MSY) or the Lakefront Airport (NEW). It also facilitated swift travel for key staff to and from coastal heliports that served offshore platforms in the Gulf of Mexico. As one of the few rooftop helipads in the city's Central Business District, it represented the significant investment and operational importance of Chevron to the New Orleans economy for several decades.

There are no known plans or prospects for reopening the Chevron Place Helipad. The fundamental reasons for its closure remain: the primary user, Chevron, no longer owns the building and has a much smaller presence in downtown New Orleans. The significant financial investment, liability, and complex regulatory hurdles required to recertify and operate a rooftop helipad in a dense urban environment make it an unappealing venture for the current building owners or potential tenants. The demand for such a private facility has effectively disappeared, making its reopening highly improbable.