Demolition crews have arrived at Mar-a-Lago to rip out Donald Trump‘s helipad after his exemption from Palm Beach’s helicopter-free zone rule was revoked when he left office.
Construction workers were seen at the former president’s sprawling estate Tuesday with a red digger and concrete cutting equipment, demolishing the concrete helicopter landing pad set among the towering palm trees.
Its removal, handled by contractor Pyramid Builders of Palm Beach, from the western lawn of the 17-acre property will cost in the region of $15,000, the permit shows.
Palm Beach does not allow helipads in its town but made an exception for Trump while he was president, on the condition it only be used for presidential business and be removed again when he left the White House.
Demolition crews have arrived at Mar-a-Lago to rip out Donald Trump’s helipad as his exemption from Palm Beach’s helicopter-free zone rule was revoked after he left office
Construction workers were seen at the former president’s sprawling estate Tuesday with a red digger and concrete cutting equipment, demolishing the concrete helicopter landing pad set among the towering palm trees
Its removal, handled by contractor Pyramid Builders of Palm Beach, from the western lawn of the 17-acre property will cost in the region of $15,000
The pad was built for presidential chopper Marine One. It became the sole helipad in the entire town due to a blanket ban on them in the area
A digger gets to work ripping up the concrete helipad on the western lawn at Mar-a-Lago Tuesday morning
The town of Palm Beach issued a permit for the helipad’s demolition on February 2.
Town Manager Kirk Blouin said there had never been any question that it would be removed as soon as Trump was no longer president, according to Palm Beach Daily News.
‘It seems to have been more controversial in media reports than it is in actual practice.
‘They never made a request to keep it,’ he said, adding that Mar-a-Lago representatives had inquired ‘in the past few weeks’ about permits to carry out the removal work.
Town Council President Maggie Zeidman told the Daily News at the time the estate was ‘acting in good faith and living up [to] their end of the bargain because they have taken the first step’ to getting the helipad taken out.
The helipad, a concrete slab measuring 50 feet long and 8 inches deep, was built back in February 2017 for presidential chopper Marine One.
It became the sole helipad in the entire town due to a blanket ban on them in the area.
Marine One landing on the helipad in March 2019. As president, Trump was only permitted to fly on Marine One or Air Force One
Palm Beach does not allow helipads in its town but made an exception for Trump while he was president, on the condition it only be used for presidential business and be removed again when he left the White House
Construction workers using concrete cutting equipment to demolish the slab measuring 50 feet long and 8 inches deep
Trump had been granted an exception as president of the United States due to the argument that his arrival into Palm Beach would create less of a traffic problem along Southern Boulevard if he could fly to Mar-a-Lago from Palm Beach International Airport rather than by motorcade.
Despite this argument, Trump rarely used the landing pad while he was in office.
Instead he would often choose to travel by motorcade from the airport and his nearby golf course to wave at MAGA fans lining the streets and gathered outside his estate.
As part of the agreement the helipad was only to be used for executive business.
However the first time it was used was by Trump’s private helicopter in April 2017, sparking questions around whether the Trump Organization was taking advantage of the presidential privilege he had been granted.
The town of Palm Beach issued a permit for the demolition of the Mar-a-Lago helipad back on February 2
Workers set to work removing the concrete helipad in line with the agreement with the town
Town Manager Kirk Blouin said there had never been any question that it would be removed as soon as Trump was no longer president
Eight months later in December, a Trump-branded red and white chopper – complete with the president’s last name and family logo – was again spotted on the helipad.
It was unclear who had traveled on the helicopter each time but Secret Service security protocol required the president to travel only on the presidential plane Air Force One or the presidential helicopter Marine One.
This isn’t the first construction work Trump has had done on his Florida property portfolio since he left the White House for a new life in the Sunshine State.
Last month, workers were seen planting a wall of palm trees around the Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach to block the view of the course from unwanted eyes.
This came just one day after a CNN cameraman shot footage of the former president enjoying a spot of golf on the Florida course while still sporting a red ‘MAGA hat’.
Trump fled to Mar-a-Lago on the morning of January 20 as he refused to follow tradition and attend the inauguration of President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris.
Much of the Trump clan have been setting up home in Florida but the ex-president has already rattled his new neighbors.
Some local Palm Beach residents argued Trump was not permitted to make Mar-a-Lago his permanent residence as planned because of an agreement he signed almost three decades ago when he turned it into a private club.
Trump gives a thumbs-up to supporters as he drives through West Palm Beach Monday. Despite Trump being granted an exception for the helipad because it would create less of a traffic problem he would often choose to travel by motorcade from the airport and his nearby golf course to wave at MAGA fans lining the streets and gathered outside his estate
Marine One landing at the Florida estate in March 2019. Trump had been granted an exception as president of the United States due to the argument that his arrival into Palm Beach would create less of a traffic problem along Southern Boulevard if he could fly to Mar-a-Lago from Palm Beach International Airport rather than by motorcade
As part of the agreement the helipad was only to be used for executive business. However the first time it was used was by Trump’s private helicopter in April 2017 (pictured)
They said the ‘special exception use’ permit which allowed him to convert the property into a club prevented anyone from staying there for longer than a week or for more than three times a year unless they worked there.
Trump’s lawyers argued he is a Mar-a-Lago employee so is able to live there permanently.
At a town meeting last week, council members gave Trump permission to stay.
Trump bought Mar-a-Lago back in 1985 before converting it into a private club in 1993.
On Friday, while his impeachment trial was in full swing, a banner was flown over his estate reading: ‘Convict Trump and lock him up.’
Trump was acquitted Saturday of inciting the January 6 riot at the US Capitol in a 57-43 vote after just seven Republicans voted to convict.
