Two leases and a revocable license at the West Los Angeles VA Medical Center Campus have been terminated by the Department of Veterans Affairs.
According to a release, VA terminated its leases with Brentwood School — an exclusive K-12 private school – and Safety Park Corporation, which had operated a parking lot on the campus. VA also terminated its revocable license with Bridgeland Resources, LLC, an energy company that had operated an oil field on the 388-acre campus.
“These groups have been fleecing taxpayers and veterans for far too long, and under President Trump, VA is taking decisive action to ensure the West LA VAMC campus is used only as intended: to benefit veterans,” said VA Secretary Doug Collins in a statement.
Brentwood School officials issued a statement indicating that the VA had offered to meet with them in Washington.
“We look forward to that meeting with hopes of preserving our longstanding relationship and the extensive services Brentwood School provides that so many Veterans value," the statement said, according to the Los Angeles Times.
According to The Times, it is unclear if the school would lose access to the athletic facilities built on the 22-acres they leased, which include a football/soccer stadium, a baseball field, a basketball pavilion, exercise equipment, and a 10-lane swimming pool.
An executive order signed by Trump on May 8, 2025, directed Collins to establish the National Center for Warrior Independence (NCWI) at the West LA campus. The center will allow veterans from around the nation to seek and receive care, benefits and services to which they are entitled on the campus.
The center will provide housing and support for up to 6,000 homeless veterans by 2028 and will promote self-sufficiency through “housing, substance abuse treatment, and support for productive work for the veterans housed there," according to the White House.
“By establishing the National Center for Warrior Independence, we will turn the West Los Angeles VAMC campus into a destination where homeless veterans from across the nation can find housing and support on their journey back to self-sufficiency,” added Collins.
The terminations follow rulings from a district court and the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals that found the leases and licenses violated federal law, and VA argued that the department has been underpaid by more than $40 million per year based on the fair market value of the properties.
VA is currently examining a range of design and construction options for NCWI.
Reach Julia LeDoux at Jula@connectingvets.com.