Red Sox to add more than 800 seats as part of Year VII Fenway Park improvements

The Boston
Red Sox announced improvments to Fenway Park. More
seats, more space, more information, more food, and improved circulation
highlight the list.

More than 800 new State Street Pavilion seats, plus standing room tickets, will
be available for each game. Most (approximately 620) will be installed on the
third base side of the park; the remaining (approximately 220) on the first
base side.

“It’s
important to note that many of the tickets are intended to be affordable and
available for day of game purchases, group sales, and 10th man plans,”
said Red Sox President/CEO Larry Lucchino. “We understand the demand for
such seats; thus we are adding to the supply.”

Beyond the seats on the third base side, a dedicated area, “Standing Room
Corner,” will provide a unique view of the field. In addition, the club is
adding permanent upgraded restrooms and concessions that will serve the State
Street Pavilion and the Green Monster.

New, linear scoreboards will line portions of the EMC Level fascia. The
“LED” technology gives full color, clear information regarding the
batter, the pitcher, the count, and other key game information. This
improvement helps fans with compromised views of the scoreboards in centerfield
and left field.

A
Bleacher Bar & Grill, a year-round restaurant in center field, is scheduled
to open at the start of the 2008 season. Beneath the Bleachers that previously
sat atop the visitors’ batting cages, it will open onto

Lansdowne Street, with a view into the
ballpark as well.

A new staircase from the Gate A area on

Yawkey Way to the back of the Grandstand
at Section 27 will improve vertical circulation, as will a new elevator and
stairway in left field.

Eight new private suites, available on a single game basis, will replace the
six that were housed in the temporary boxes placed on the pavilion for the 1999
All-Star Game. Those two boxes, the “K” and “B” suites
(named for their proximity to

Kenmore
Square and

Boylston Street, respectively), are
scheduled to be removed starting today. In addition, 12 private suites will be
renovated (just as 26 were renovated in 2007).

Improvements also include waterproofing the seating bowl in the Bleacher area,
a project that requires replacing the seats (already sold to fans) in these
sections. The seating replacement gives the club the opportunity to add
wheelchair locations with sightlines and companion seating that comply with the
Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA).

Structural
upgrades and stabilization are underway in all seating areas, and service level
improvements include additional sprinkler systems in the concourses and
automatic exit doors in the roll down grates.

As a part
of the club’s commitment to bring the Red Sox clubhouse up to par with those of
other Major League Baseball teams, the Red Sox plan to provide a fully equipped
kitchen and new restrooms on the clubhouse’s Mezzanine Level. The club plans
also to install new restrooms adjacent to the Red Sox Interview Room.

The club
has made annual improvements since Principal Owner John Henry, Chairman Tom
Werner, Lucchino and their partners purchased the club before the start of the
2002 season.

“We
are pleased to be on the path to achieve goals that were once thought to be
unachievable,” Lucchino said. “For decades, there was a presumption
that

Fenway
Park had outlived its useful life and,
sentiment aside, would have to be replaced by a modern facility in another
location. We are eager to see, in 2012, this ballpark become the first ever to
celebrate its 100th anniversary.”

On March
25, 2005, Henry, Werner, Lucchino, and their ownership group announced a
long-term commitment to the park, ending years of uncertainty. Since making
their commitment, they have worked to preserve and protect the jewel.

“These
improvements continue our efforts to make Fenway Park more comparable to other
MLB parks in terms of number of seats and fan amenities, while still preserving
the scale and character that had made Fenway Park ‘America’s Most Beloved
Ballpark,'” said Janet Marie Smith, the Red Sox’ Senior Vice
President/Planning and Development. “Changes are being made in accordance
with the standards set by the National Park Service and are reviewed in advance
by the Massachusetts Historic Commission, the Boston City Landmarks Commission,
and Boston Redevelopment Authority.

“We
are committed to not only making

Fenway

Park more convenient and
comfortable for our fans, but ensuring that the safety of our park is in line
with current codes.”

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