The Red Sox have been getting a sweet, sweet deal from the city and state on the closing Yawkey Way during game days at Fenway. That's according to a state inspector general report spurred by Globe investigation last November. Moreover! The air rights over Lansdowne Street that the city forfeited so the Sox could build seats atop the Green Monster—the franchise got a steal on those, too. “Yawkey Way and Lansdowne Street are public property," according to the inspector general. "The public should receive fair market value for the use of its property."
What's fair market value? Well, from 2003 through 2011, the Sox got about $44.8 million in added revenue from concessions, souvenirs and tickets for the Green Monster seats and closing Yawkey Way. What the franchise paid the Boston Redevelopment Authority, which acted on behalf of the city so as to keep the Sox in Fenway, was $1.67 million.
The whole shebang is coming up for negotiation after the 2013 season, when the current deal expires. City and state officials are now talking vaguely tough about extracting more monies from John Henry's organization. Until then, good thing it's probably not going to be an issue in the postseason any time soon.
· City Should Get More Money from Red Sox, Watchdog Says [Globe]