Old Portage Heliport

Economic and operational. The heliport was privately owned by the Akron Beacon Journal newspaper and was located on the roof of their downtown headquarters. The heliport was closed and decommissioned when the newspaper sold the building in 2017 and subsequently relocated its operations in 2018, rendering the facility obsolete.

The heliport is permanently closed and defunct. As of the latest satellite imagery, faint markings of the helipad are still visible on the rooftop of the former Akron Beacon Journal building at 44 E Exchange St. The building itself has been sold and is undergoing a major redevelopment project to be converted into 'The Beacon,' a mixed-use complex with residential apartments and commercial space. The rooftop is now simply part of this redeveloped property and is not used for aviation.

The heliport, officially known as the Akron Beacon Journal Heliport (its FAA identifier was OH30), was a private facility used exclusively by the newspaper. For several decades, it served as the base for the newspaper's helicopter, which was used for newsgathering, aerial photography, and traffic reporting. This capability provided the Akron Beacon Journal with a significant advantage in covering breaking news, major events, and traffic conditions from the air. The 'Old Portage Heliport' name is a reference to its location in Akron near the historic Portage Path. The ICAO code 'US-10240' is a non-official identifier used by some third-party databases.

None. There are no plans or prospects for reopening the heliport. The original operator has vacated the property, and the building's conversion to primarily residential use makes a future heliport at this location unfeasible due to safety regulations, noise concerns, and liability issues.