White House plans to build helipad on the South Lawn

Published May 18, 2026 8:56am ET | Updated May 18, 2026 10:27am ET



The White House is reportedly planning to build a helipad on the South Lawn to mitigate damage from the Marine One helicopters’ frequent landings and takeoffs.

Concern has been raised for years about the damage to the South Lawn’s grass from the much heavier and more powerful VH-92A Patriot helicopter, which is replacing the older VH-3D Sea King to serve as Marine One. President Donald Trump is looking to carry out yet another renovation of the White House, solving this problem by installing a helipad, according to people familiar with the matter speaking with the Wall Street Journal.

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