Red Sox Look For New Fenway Office and TV Space

BOSTON-The World Champion Boston Red Sox are scouting for a new location for the ball club’s offices and television studio. Janet Marie Smith, senior vice president for development and planning, tells GlobeSt.com that the team is looking for approximately 30,000 sf of office space in the Fenway neighborhood along with an additional 40,000 sf that can be used to relocate its New England Sports Network television station.

“We are actively looking,” says Smith, adding that the team has not yet identified any space that fits its needs. But the team is actively shopping for properties in the area around Fenway, she admits. “We remain interested, but we have not identified anything that is readily available.”

In April, team owners, under the entity NESV Real Estate LLC, purchased 1265 and 1270 Boylston St.., a former restaurant, near the ballpark for a total consideration of $11, according to documents on file with the Suffolk County Registrar of Deeds. The team owns property adjacent to the ballpark at 4 Yawkey Way, known as the Ginno Building, which is used for offices. It also owns 70 Brookline Ave., which is used for storage, and 175 Ipswich St., which is used for a garage.

The ball club also leases storage space in the basement of 1260 Boylston St. Barry Hoffman, a former owner of that Fenway property, has said the club recently made overtures to purchase that property as well but the current owners refused to sell. Smith says the ball club did express interest in the Ramrod building about three years ago.

“They were willing to sell it three years ago but when we called them six months ago about leasing the space, they said we are not selling,” says Smith, noting that the team does have a short-term lease for storage space in the basement of the building. A Red Sox public relation executive tells GlobeSt.com that the team plans to continue its buying spree around Fenway Park as properties become available. “From a philosophical standpoint, when a parcel becomes available that could be of use to improve the fan experience, we would pay attention,” he says.