SAN DIEGO -- San Diego's redevelopment arm will meet Wednesday to decide whether to hire a New York consultant to study how to pay for a downtown football stadium, it was reported Thursday.

The Centre City Development Corp. is poised to pay $160,000 to sports finance consultants Mitchell Ziets and Evolution Media Capital LLC for the study, according to The San Diego Union-Tribune.

Darren Pudgil, a spokesman for San Diego Mayor Jerry Sanders, considers the process a business decision for the city. The consultant's fee would be $160,000, and it would be paid for by city redevelopment funds.

"It's not coming out of the city's general fund, so it won't be taking away from police, fire, libraries or parks and recreation. These are redevelopment dollars that have to be spent in the downtown area," said Pudgil.

The proposed site is east of Petco Park and includes Tailgate Park and 10 acres of property bound by 14th, K and 16th streets and Imperial Avenue. Nearly eight of the 10 acres houses a bus yard owned by the San Diego Metropolitan Transit System.

Keeping the Chargers in San Diego is a big focus for many city leaders, who said creating the team's new home in the heart of the city would create new jobs and help revitalize the East Village.

CCDC spokesman Derek Danziger said that part of downtown was greatly improved by Petco Park but areas east of there are still considered blighted.

"This will give us more of road map on where we need to go to really start moving on a stadium project for downtown," said Danziger.

Chargers special counsel Mark Fabiani said Tuesday that a downtown stadium could be built for less than $800 million because parking, freeway access and public transportation already exist in the area, the Union-Tribune reported.

In the past, Fabiani has said the team would be willing to spend $200 million on a stadium and that the NFL might be willing to lend the team an additional $100 million.

Revenue from ancillary development, including offices, retail and condominiums, is expected to provide additional funding.