This post was updated Sept. 25 at 11:41 p.m.

A federal court ruled Friday that several private interest leases on United States Department of Veterans Affairs property – including on UCLA’s Jackie Robinson baseball stadium – are illegal.

U.S. District Judge David O. Carter’s ruling comes after a non-jury trial, which found that the West Los Angeles VA grounds were mismanaged by leasing out parts of its land to the Brentwood School, Safety Park, Bridgeland Resources and UCLA – all of which do not primarily cater to veterans’ interests. The VA is prohibited from entering into a new lease agreement with any of the four entities, leaving the future of the Jackie Robinson baseball stadium unclear.

Carter’s ruling said the agreements were previously found to be in violation of the West LA Leasing Act of 2016. However, despite warnings, the VA continuously extended its lease with Safety Park – which operates a parking lot on the grounds – and has made no effort to end or renegotiate its agreements with the Brentwood School, Bridgeland Resources or UCLA.

“The Court holds that it is virtually impossible for leases for a private school’s athletic facilities, a parking lot near Brentwood businesses, an oil drilling operation, and a UCLA baseball stadium to principally benefit veterans,” the ruling said.

The Jackie Robinson Stadium sits on 10 acres of land leased from the VA, with UCLA paying $300,000 per year in rent. Carter added in the ruling that the lease was amended in 2020 to allow for improvements to the field, which included a $2 million donation from the Branca Family for the naming rights for a practice infield. None of the donation money, Carter said, went to the VA or to services for veterans.

The ruling prompts the VA to build 750 units of temporary housing on the West LA VA campus within 12 to 18 months of the court order and to develop a plan for an additional 1,800 units of permanent housing within six months of the order to address veteran homelessness. Carter also ordered the VA to increase its street outreach efforts and to begin construction for a town center on the campus.

“The problem of homeless veterans is exacerbated each day a veteran is on the street; not only is it a safety issue, it is also a trust issue as the longer it takes people to obtain a housing unit, the less likely they will trust the service providers offering that housing,” the ruling said.

In voiding the lease, Carter did not specify the immediate future of the Jackie Robinson Stadium, but said, “the Court will determine an exit strategy for UCLA’s 10 acres.”

UCLA Media Relations issued a statement Friday saying the university is reviewing Carter’s decision and will determine how to move forward in its relationship with the VA.

“UCLA and the VA have had a longstanding public service partnership spanning more than 70 years,” the statement said. “Working with the VA to serve Veterans continues to be one of our key objectives as part of UCLA’s mission of teaching, research and public service.”