Analyzing the Renovations that Saved Fenway Park and the Urban Baseball Stadium
ballparks.substack.com
Introduction Opened in 1912, Fenway Park is the oldest active stadium in Major League Baseball and one of Boston’s most iconic landmarks. It is seen as a relic of a time gone by, and considered completely untouchable to many baseball fans and historians alike. Fenway Park is representative of baseball’s history as a truly urban game, one that is affected by the space around it. Despite the near-holy status the stadium now holds, its future wasn’t always so secure. In the 1990’s, team ownership was seriously considering tearing down Fenway Park and replacing it with a new, modern ballpark. A grassroots movement, primarily under the name “Save Fenway Park!” came together, with the goal of doing just that. Their efforts eventually proved successful, and after a new ownership group took over at the turn of the century, they announced a desire to modernize the existing park. Beginning in the year 2002, the Red Sox began a series of renovations that wholly transformed Fenway Park, while maintaining respect for the historic character of the ballpark and surrounding neighborhood. Completed throughout the first decade of the Twenty-First Century, the renovations have successfully brought the historic ballpark into the modern day. This project was of outsized importance, as preserving Fenway Park served to save more than just one stadium. It saved the idea of a truly urban ballpark, one that is fully incorporated into its neighborhood.
Analyzing the Renovations that Saved Fenway Park and the Urban Baseball Stadium
Analyzing the Renovations that Saved Fenway…
Analyzing the Renovations that Saved Fenway Park and the Urban Baseball Stadium
Introduction Opened in 1912, Fenway Park is the oldest active stadium in Major League Baseball and one of Boston’s most iconic landmarks. It is seen as a relic of a time gone by, and considered completely untouchable to many baseball fans and historians alike. Fenway Park is representative of baseball’s history as a truly urban game, one that is affected by the space around it. Despite the near-holy status the stadium now holds, its future wasn’t always so secure. In the 1990’s, team ownership was seriously considering tearing down Fenway Park and replacing it with a new, modern ballpark. A grassroots movement, primarily under the name “Save Fenway Park!” came together, with the goal of doing just that. Their efforts eventually proved successful, and after a new ownership group took over at the turn of the century, they announced a desire to modernize the existing park. Beginning in the year 2002, the Red Sox began a series of renovations that wholly transformed Fenway Park, while maintaining respect for the historic character of the ballpark and surrounding neighborhood. Completed throughout the first decade of the Twenty-First Century, the renovations have successfully brought the historic ballpark into the modern day. This project was of outsized importance, as preserving Fenway Park served to save more than just one stadium. It saved the idea of a truly urban ballpark, one that is fully incorporated into its neighborhood.