Parker Center Heliport

The heliport was closed as a direct result of the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) relocating its headquarters. The Parker Center building, which the heliport was on top of, was aging, seismically deficient, and too small for the department's modern needs. The LAPD moved to the new LAPD Headquarters Building at 100 W. 1st Street, which features its own modern rooftop heliport (the 'Pad'). The closure was not due to an accident or specific economic reasons related to the heliport itself, but rather the decommissioning of the entire building it served.

The Parker Center building, including the rooftop heliport, has been completely demolished. The demolition process began in late 2018 and was completed in 2019. The site, located at 150 N. Los Angeles Street, is currently a vacant, graded lot. It is part of the city's Civic Center Master Plan and is slated for the construction of the Los Angeles Street Civic Building (LASCB), a new high-rise office tower intended to consolidate staff from various city departments.

The Parker Center Heliport was an iconic symbol of law enforcement in Los Angeles for over 50 years. As the rooftop heliport for the LAPD's headquarters from 1955 to 2009, it was the primary base for the world-renowned LAPD Air Support Division. Operations included the launch and recovery of police helicopters for patrol, surveillance, high-speed pursuits, search and rescue, and VIP transport. Its prominent location and frequent use made it a fixture in popular culture, famously featured in the opening credits of the TV series 'Dragnet' and playing a key role in films like 'Blue Thunder' and 'In the Line of Fire', cementing its place in the public imagination as the heart of the LAPD's 'eye in the sky'.

There are zero prospects for reopening the Parker Center Heliport. The original structure no longer exists. While the planned new civic building on the site may include a heliport as part of its design, it would be an entirely new facility and not a reopening of the historic US-10145 heliport.