Judge strikes down stadium lease for UCLA baseball on VA campus

By News on the Net —— Bio and Archives August 30, 2013

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A federal judge ruled Thursday the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs misused its sprawling West Los Angeles campus by leasing land for a hotel laundry, a film studio storage lot and UCLA's baseball stadium, but stopped short of ordering the tenants off the property.

U.S. District Judge S. James Otero said the agency had abused its discretion by leasing land for purposes "totally divorced from the provision of healthcare," but delayed enforcement of his order so the government could appeal. UCLA, whose baseball team has played on the VA property in Jackie Robinson Stadium for nearly 50 years, said it would do "everything possible" to remain there. A spokeswoman for the U.S. Department of Justice declined to say whether the government would challenge the ruling. More...