City/County, Spurs negotiating to purchase Toyota Field

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Scorpions owner Gordon Hartman and city/county officials have begun early negotiations on the potential sale of Toyota Field but remain many millions apart in their valuation of the soccer-specific venue.

Precinct 3 commissioner Kevin Wolff described the work as “slow going” after Hartman met on Tuesday with officials from the city, the county and Spurs Sports and Entertainment.

Wolff said additional meetings were expected to take place on Wednesday.

“It’s still going to take a while to work through,” Wolff said. “I’m not sure that we’re so far apart that there won’t be a deal. But this is not by any stretch of the imagination easy to do. We’ve looked at this with the city and county going half and half. We essentially gave the marching orders to Mike Sculley that he can go into these negotiations and (tell Hartman) here’s your top price.”

Wolff declined to say what that top price is. Neither Sculley, the director of Bexar County’s Community Venues Program, nor Hartman had returned phone messages as of noon Wednesday.

Toyota Field, the Scorpions’ home field, seen Sept. 16, 2014, sports a giant banner of a rock guitar player despite never having hosted a concert. Toyota Field, the Scorpions’ home field, seen Sept. 16, 2014, sports a giant banner of a rock guitar player despite never having hosted a concert. Photo: William Luther /San Antonio Express-News Photo: William Luther /San Antonio Express-News Image 1 of / 1 Caption Close City/County, Spurs negotiating to purchase Toyota Field 1 / 1 Back to Gallery

But multiple sources told the Express-News that the official valuation by the city/county is $14 million, significantly less than Hartman’s asking price in the neighborhood of $30 million.

For more, go to ExpressNews.com

dmccarney@express-news.net

Twitter: @danmccarneySAEN