Ms. Smith explains that, in an effort to be more accommodating to the fans, Fenway's development team decided to be
creative in their attempts to rearrange aspects of the stadium and to use adjacent real estate and streets more wisely, thereby making
the space less cramped. The city and the neighborhood granted them permission to put up turnstiles on Yawkey Way and "to officially make
Yawkey Way a part of the ballpark." In addition, the park now boasts an additional 35,000 square feet of space, a greater selection of
food, and a newer, fresher facade. After fixing the Yawkey Way side of the stadium, the team turned their efforts to the bleacher end.
They added a thirty-foot concourse beneath the bleachers, which they affectionately call "the big concourse." Using the space previously
occupied by a dumpster and media trucks, they added twelve new turnstiles, entrances, exits, restrooms, and concessions.
Another accommodation for the fans is the addition of a family bathroom, where parents can bring their younger children
during the game. Ms. Smith explains that this was an important step to avoid situations where fans spend two innings simply trying to
get to the bathroom and back. The creation of the concourse has the added benefits of providing refuge from the rain or sun, as well as
a decrease in the number of incidents in the bleachers by over 70 percent. "If you give [people] a better environment," Ms. Smith says,
"we find that there's less clean-up to do in addition to having fewer security problems."
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