By Rebekah L. Sanders | The Republic
The Maricopa County Board of Supervisors is contemplating selling the iconic Chase Field in downtown Phoenix to private investors, and will meet Wednesday to vote on starting negotiations.
The vote comes amid tension between the county and the Arizona Diamondbacks over who is responsible for as much as $187 million in repairs to the 18-year-old baseball stadium. Opened in 1998, the stadium is owned entirely by the county despite a team investment in its construction. County taxpayers provided $238 million to build it.
The county board in recent weeks has discussed stadium issues behind closed doors, fueling speculation about new developments. Wednesday’s meeting will be the first board vote on the issue since the dispute with the team exploded publicly this spring.