Fenway Park Improvements
2011 Improvements to include three new High Definition video boards and scoring systems by ANC Sports and Mitsubishi Electric
This year's effort fulfills a pledge made by ownership upon acquisition of the club, and reaffirmed in 2005, to improve every facet of the ballpark, while preserving and protecting the ballpark for future generations. The improvements completed at Fenway Park over the past ten years have been designed to ensure that the park will remain structurally sound, and the home of the Boston Red Sox, for the next 30-40 years. With a 2010-2011 off-season investment estimated at $40 million, the investment for the 10 year program is estimated to total approximately $285 million, the largest investment in the history of the almost 99-year old iconic ballpark.
Footage of the most recent construction will be uploaded regularly so please be sure to check back!
Improvements Timeline
2011 Improvements
In the final year of a ten-year improvements cycle, three new high-definition video display systems will be added to Fenway Park to take the place of existing and outdated systems. The** lower right field seating bowl will be repaired and waterproofed with new seats taking the place of existing Dugout, Field Box, and Loge Box seats, as well as the refurbishing of the 1934 wooden Grandstand seats. A new **Gate D ticket booth will be constructed providing fans with will-call window access at all five gates of the ballpark as well as new and expanded concession and merchandise stands in the Gate D area. Improvements will also be made to the concourse stretching between Gate D and Gate C.
2010 Improvements
In 2010, the concrete in the** lower 1934 left field seating bowl** was repaired and waterproofed. The seats were replaced by new Dugout, Field Box and Loge Box seats. In 2010, the blue grandstand seats were replaced with new seats temporarily for the 2010 season. The completely refurbished seats will be installed before the start of the 2011 season. In an effort to create additional space and enhance the fan experience, the concession stand behind home plate at the top of the Grandstand was replaced by new expanded concession stands that now offer a wider variety of food and beverage items. *New restrooms and family restrooms *were also constructed on a Mezzanine area positioned above Gate D. Several improvements were also completed to the lower third base concourse including a new stairway that provides improved access to/from the Gate A. Also upgraded utilities and enhancements to the interiors of both the visitor's clubhouse and grounds crew areas took place before the start of the 2010 season
2009 Improvements
As part of the 2009 improvements, the original 1912 lower seating bowl, between sections 14 and 28, was repaired and waterproofed, a project that replaced Dugout Seats, Field Box Seats, and Loge Box Seats, while refurbishing and reinstalling the original wooden Grandstand Seats.. Existing wheelchair and companion seating locations were improved with better sightlines as well. Approximately** 560 new seats** were added along the Right Field Roof, along with new restrooms, concessions, and additional dedicated standing room space with drink rails. The Budweiser Right Field Roof Deck was also expanded with** 28 new seats at tables, including five new ADA locations and an extended standing room platform. The roof of the Jeano Building **next door to Fenway Park, which is home to the Red Sox Front Offices, The Third Base Deck, the Third Base Concourse and GameOn!, was also replaced during the off-season. The building, which was built in 1914, also underwent a full restoration of its windows and along with the 4 Yawkey Way entry, the main entrance to the Red Sox Front Office.
2008 Improvements
Eight hundred new State Street Pavilion seats plus standing room tickets were added in 2008 down the first and third base lines. Eight new private suites, available on a single game basis, replaced the six that were housed in the temporary boxes placed on the pavilion for the 1999 All-Star Game, and 12 additional private suites were renovated. The Coca-Cola Corner, with 412 new seats featuring family-friendly seating and hospitality was unveiled in left field as well. Additionally, the seats in the bleachers were replaced, complete with concrete repair and waterproofing.
2007 Improvements
In 2007, the Third Base Deck *behind the Grandstand seats was constructed to add space, restrooms, and concessions. A total of 26 of the Private Suites also received a major upgrade, and the improvements even extended to the facilities occupied by ushers, ticket takers, security staff, ball attendants, and mascots. A *new visitor's batting cage was added right behind the third base concourse and the *press box was expanded *and improved with better sightlines and amenities.
2006 Improvements
The Red Sox broke the glass that had separated patrons in the .406 Club from the field in 2006. The club divided the large venue into two open-air seating areas: the EMC Club below and the *State Street Pavilion *above. The club also remodeled the pavilion level down the first base line and third base line, expanding from four rows of seating, to nine rows of seating with the addition the Pavilion Club and Box sections, along with new concourses, concessions, and restrooms. In addition, a new staircase from the corner of Yawkey Way and Van Ness Street was added to relieve congestion inside Gate D.
2005 Improvements
In 2005, the Red Sox installed** a new field with a sand-based drainage system** allowing the team to better manage the field following severe weather and resume games more quickly. In addition, the Red Sox clubhouse received a new, large weight room, new players lounge, expanded trainers room with hydrotherapy, a locker room for coaches room, and a considerably larger media interview room. For fans, the club helped decongest the narrow walkway atop the grandstand seats on the first base side. The First Base Deck gave fans more room and added more concession stands to further reduce lines.
2004 Improvements
In 2004, the Red Sox created a new Fenway Park neighborhood, the Budweiser Right Field Roof Deck. Installing tables shaped like home plate that accommodated parties of four, the roof added 192 new seats and space for 250 standing room patrons. New amenities included unique menu items, in-seat service, new restrooms, an open-air bar with televisions, and an elevator to the Grandstand Area and the Big Concourse. Across the field, the newly refreshed Third Base Concourse added new concessions, restrooms, and space, just as the Big Concourse had done the year before. To add another new amenity for the Dugout Seat patrons, the club created a premium club on the Third Base Concourse, which would later become known as the Absolut Club.
2003 Improvements
In 2003, the club added 269 seats atop the fabled left field wall and drew rave reviews. Boston Magazine would later dub the Green Monster Seats as the best seats in Boston and in 2008, the seats topped a list of the 10 best seats in baseball complied by USA Today, combining nominations from readers and votes from their staff. The Red Sox also added 87 Home Plate Seats *on the field and *133 more Dugout Seats. In August, a new Big Concourse was introduced where fans found 25,000 more square feet beneath the centerfield bleachers and right field grandstand and enjoyed new menu options from new concession stands with their own kitchens. Along with new, larger restrooms (including the largest women's room in the Major Leagues, the width of the concourse doubled from 30 feet to 60 feet, and usable space between Gate B and Gate C tripled, complete with picnic tables and other family friendly amenities.
2002 Improvements
Immediately after purchasing the club, the new ownership group added nearly 400 seats (including 161 new "dugout" seats) for Opening Day, 2002, and made a series of other improvements including a new player family lounge and media interview room. Starting September 5, 2002, the Yawkey Way Concourse, an expansion of the park onto the neighboring street, added 25,000 square feet, doubled the concourse area on the first base side, and created more space in the Gate A concourse.