First Interstate Bank Building Heliport

The heliport was officially closed and its FAA identifier cancelled at the request of the building's owner. While the specific internal reason was not made public, such closures are typically driven by economic factors, including high costs for insurance, maintenance, and security, coupled with low or infrequent usage. There is no indication that the closure was due to an accident, military conversion, or direct regulatory action.

The heliport is permanently closed and is not operational. The physical site is the rooftop of the Center Tower, a major high-rise office building located at 650 Town Center Drive. While satellite imagery may still show the painted helipad markings (an 'H' within a circle), the facility is no longer certified, maintained, or equipped for aviation use. The building itself remains a prominent and active commercial office space.

The facility, officially known as the Center Tower Heliport (FAA LID: 82CL), was a private rooftop heliport on what was originally the First Interstate Bank Building (now Center Tower) in Costa Mesa, CA, adjacent to Santa Ana. Built in the late 1980s, it was a symbol of corporate prestige and efficiency during a period of major economic growth in Orange County. Its primary function was to provide rapid point-to-point air transportation for high-level executives, allowing them to bypass ground traffic to reach regional airports like John Wayne (SNA), Los Angeles International (LAX), or other corporate headquarters. Operations consisted of private, non-scheduled flights under Visual Flight Rules (VFR). The user-provided ICAO 'US-11153' is a non-standard identifier from a third-party database; its official FAA identifier was 82CL.

There are no known plans or prospects for reopening the heliport. The decision to reopen would rest with the building's current ownership and would require a significant financial investment for FAA recertification, facility upgrades to meet modern standards, and substantial ongoing operational and insurance costs. Given the general decline in the use of corporate heliports due to cost, liability, and alternative transportation and communication methods, a return to service is considered extremely unlikely.