Here at OnMilwaukee.com, we take pride in being Milwaukee experts. Since it is literally our job to eat, sleep and breathe all things Brew City, we get many questions from our readers.

This is where we answer them.

In the "Ask OMC" series, we take your questions -- big or small -- and track down the answers. Send your query to askomc@staff.onmilwaukee.com. Be sure to include your name and location, and we will consider it for our next installment.

The question today comes from Gary H. in Gilbert, Ariz., but it has been on the minds of Brewers fans in Wisconsin and the Valley of the Sun:

Are the Brewers going to leave Maryvale Baseball Park soon and is it true they could be moving out of Arizona and heading to Florida?

That's been a hot topic this spring, Gary. Unfortunately, we can't give you a firm answer because -- after speaking to a number of people connected to the issue -- it's clear that nobody is certain what is going to happen.

Here is what we know:

The Brewers' lease at Maryvale Baseball Park expires after spring training in 2012.

Brewers executives are in preliminary talks with officials from the city of Phoenix about the deal.

The Brewers, who base their minor-league operation out of the facility, would like to see significant upgrades to the facilities at Maryvale. Specifically, they'd like to see more office space, bigger clubhouse facilities and some improvements in concessions and retail areas at the stadium.

City officials would rather not spend a lot of tax money on those improvements, which means The Brewers may have to entertain offers from other cities -- in Arizona or Florida -- and could be running spring training from a new location in 2013.

In some ways, the situation the Brewers are facing in Maryvale is like the one the Bucks face at the Bradley Center. While the facility is relatively new (Maryvale Baseball Park opened in 1998) and still functional, it has been eclipsed by a handful of newer facilities in cities like Surprise and Goodyear.

The stadium at Maryvale, which seats between 8,000 and 10,000, is fine.

The Brewers feel they are at a disadvantage because of the other areas of the 56-acre facility, which features five full practice fields, two half-fields, a major-league clubhouse and a minor-league clubhouse.

The fact that Maryvale Baseball Park is located in an undesirable area of the Valley does not help the cause. This week, a local TV station reported that the area at 51st Street and Indian School Road, which is located two blocks from the ballpark's main entrance, has more violent crime than anywhere in town.

The Brewers haven't had any major issues with the area during their time in the West Valley, but their presence has not sparked a great deal of development.

With several facilities in Florida sitting empty, local officials in the Sunshine State may offer a sweetheart deal to lure a team (or teams) back to the Grapefruit League.

The Brewers might have to consider such a move, though owner Mark Attanasio clearly likes the convenience of being able to fly from his home near Los Angeles to spring training in about 40 minutes.

While the Brewers are wrestling with their future, much of the Valley is focusing on the plight of the Cubs, who are seeking improvements at their longtime home in Mesa. The Cubs, who account for nearly one quarter of the tickets sold in the 15-team Cactus League, proposed a tax on all tickets to fund their upgrade.

Needless to say, the rest of the teams scoffed at that plan. There has been talk in the Valley about using a ticket tax to fund improvements for the Cubs, Brewers and Oakland Athletics. But, that seems unlikely at this point.

The Brewers have trained in Arizona dating to their year as the Seattle Pilots, who worked out in Tempe. The team has trained in Sun City (1973-1985), Chandler (1986-1997) and Maryvale (1998-present).