Los Angeles Times Helipad

The helipad was closed as a direct result of the sale of the Los Angeles Times building and the subsequent relocation of the newspaper's headquarters. The Los Angeles Times moved from its historic downtown location to a new campus in El Segundo, California, in mid-2018. The building was sold to a real estate developer, making the newspaper's dedicated helipad obsolete for its original purpose.

The site is part of the Times Mirror Square complex, which is undergoing a major redevelopment project by the Canadian developer Onni Group. The plan involves preserving portions of the historic Art Deco building while adding two new high-rise towers for residential apartments, along with office and retail space. The helipad itself is inactive and non-operational, effectively a relic on the rooftop of a building being repurposed for mixed-use development.

Located atop the iconic Times Mirror Square building, the helipad was a crucial tool for the Los Angeles Times' newsgathering operations for decades. It served as a base for helicopters that allowed photographers and reporters to rapidly cover breaking news across the vast and traffic-congested Los Angeles metropolitan area. Its operations were vital for reporting on major events such as wildfires, riots, earthquakes, and high-speed police pursuits, providing the newspaper with exclusive aerial perspectives. The helipad was a symbol of the newspaper's power, resources, and commitment to comprehensive, on-the-scene journalism during its heyday.

There are no known plans or prospects for reopening this specific helipad. Its function was intrinsically tied to the Los Angeles Times' news operations, which have permanently relocated. The current redevelopment of the site is focused on residential and commercial use, and does not include the restoration of the helipad for aviation purposes.