Investors detail plan to buy Scorpions, with MLS goal

Recommended Video:

A Japanese investment group outlined its interest in purchasing Gordon Hartman’s NASL franchise to the city council Monday, including its overarching intent to earn an expansion berth to Major League Soccer.

“It was very good,” said District 10 representative Mike Gallagher, perhaps the council’s most vocal supporter of bringing the top flight of U.S. professional soccer to San Antonio. “I was most impressed by how positive these guys are. Not a lot of detail yet. But they were very enthusiastic about investment, about bringing money to the table. They did mention one of their major goals was to make sure they brought MLS to San Antonio.”

Gallagher said the presentation was broad, with the finer details saved for a later meeting Monday with city staff to examine financial parameters. Gallagher did not attend that meeting. Hartman, who was expected to be there, declined comment through a spokesman.

Gallagher described the council’s reaction to the presentation as “very positive.”

A deal will hinge on the use of city funds to purchase the Scorpions’ home stadium, Toyota Field, located in Gallagher’s district on the Northeast side off I-35. Multiple sources say Hartman wants almost $30 million for the soccer-specific stadium, which was completed last year with the infrastructure to more than double its current capacity to the 18,000 or so necessary for MLS membership.

The facility would then be leased by the city to the investment group, which would absorb the various costs and fees required to join MLS. Sources have said that figure will total at least $100 million.

One person familiar with discussions, speaking on condition of anonymity, questioned whether municipal funds should be used to purchase a facility located so far from downtown, citing potential parking and traffic issues.

MLS listed downtown stadiums as a requirement when it announced plans to expand to 24 teams by 2020. (One expansion slot remains, with Minneapolis, Sacramento and San Antonio all thought to be in contention.)

But MLS commissioner Don Garber was said to have no issues with Toyota Field after visiting the facility last winter.

dmccarney@express-news.net

Twitter: @danmccarneySAEN