The bizarre LA property has a history of nuclear testing and was transitioned into a now-shuttered rehab facility before becoming Jared’s private home
JARED Leto’s $20 million abandoned military compound that he’s turned into his private home has been revealed.
The eerie property once housed nuclear weapons and remains a guarded fortress in the Hollywood Hills as the actor faces a slew of sexual misconduct allegations from nine women.
Jared, 53, purchased Lookout Mountain Air Force Station for $5 million in December 2014.
The 1.5-acre gated estate is now estimated to be worth upwards of $20 million, real estate records show.
The eight-bedroom, 12-bathroom compound, which was built in 1941, is a whopping 50,000 square feet.
In addition to being a personal residence, the home also offers a creative space with several galleries, a sound stage, a theatre, and a massive motor court.
Outdoors, there is plenty of lounging space with multiple lawns, gardens, and an oversized swimming pool.
MILITARY GRADE HISTORY
Tucked away in the hills of Los Angeles, Lookout Mountain was originally built in 1941 as a World War II air defense center that coordinated radar installations at the time.
The United States Air Force built a military installation studio on the property, which was responsible for producing motion pictures and photographs for the Department of Defense and the Atomic Energy Commission.
Between the years of 1947 and 1969, the studio, which included a large sound stage, a film laboratory, four editing rooms, an animation, two screening rooms, and still photo department, sound mixing studio, and numerous climate controlled film vaults, operated in secret from Lookout Mountain.
The property was crucial in documenting nuclear testing, beginning with Trinity, the first nuclear test the U.S. conducted, back in 1945.
According to historical records, the government at the time needed film documentation of a nuclear explosion in order to understand the implications of that level of weapons.
During this time, when it was still operating in secret, it was reported to have also housed nuclear weapons within the property perimeters.
In January 1948, the building was acquired from the War Assets Administration by the Air Force and the Atomic Energy Commission for further military use.
At that time, the property underwent extensive remodeling, commenced by the Los Angeles Office of the Army Corps of Engineers, and was paid for by the Atomic Energy Commission.
It continued to provide military footage in the following decades and was officially designated as the Lookout Mountain Air Force Station in March 1958.
During the 1960s, Lookout Mountain Air Force Station was “responsible for all documentary photographic capabilities and the maintenance and operation of laboratories and production facilities in the western part of the United States,” historical records state.
Lookout Mountain Air Force Station also assisted the AEC with documentation of underground nuclear tests at their Nevada Test Site.
In the span of the 1960s, 250 military and civilian personnel were stationed on the property, including executives from Warner Bros., Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, and Universal Pictures.
However, in June 1969, the government discontinued use of work at Lookout Mountain Air Force Station, and all of the equipment was relocated to a nearby air force base.
The decommissioned facility was sold to a private buyer for just $50,000 in 1970, and the estate continued to go through a carousel of new owners in the following years.
To make the history of the home even more bizarre, in November 2012, it was leased by One80Center to turn it into a “celebrity-targeted” rehab facility that cost $50,000 per month.
However, the company shuttered its doors in August 2013 following an investigation by The Hollywood Reporter, which raised concerns about allegations of negligence and a wrongful death lawsuit.
After the rehab center was forced to close up shop, Jared became the next immediate owner of the property.
LETO’S LAIR
Jared has lived in the unique home for over 10 years now as he faces allegations of sexual misconduct from nine women who came forward this month.
In an Air Mail exposé, the publication interviewed nine women, the majority of whom remained anonymous, who all alleged that Jared acted inappropriately with them.
According to some of the women, they claim they were underage at the time of their interactions with the Oscar winner.
