By Thomas Grillo
Banker & Tradesman Reporter

A plan to move a Boston performing arts high school from the Fenway to the Theatre District could give the Red Sox a chance to expand their real estate holdings around Fenway Park.

Boston Mayor Thomas M. Menino wants to build a new Boston Arts Academy on a city-owned parking lot wedged between the Doubletree Hotel and the Tufts Medical Center at Tremont and Washington streets. If approved, the city would sell the high school now located at 176 Ipswich St., behind Fenway Park, and put the proceeds toward the new $100 million school. The 157,146-square-foot Fenway building is assessed at $13.2 million.

“We don’t have anything official to say about it,” said Janet Marie Smith, the Boston Red Sox staff architect. “We are watching this with great interest, but the last thing we want to do is appear as though we are pushing the school out.”

The Red Sox have been buying property around the park since a consortium headed by John Henry bought the team in 2002 for $660 million. Under the name of New England Sports Ventures, the team has purchased the former Sophia’s Latin Bar and Restaurant at 1270 Boylston St., a warehouse at 160-170 Ipswich St., the Town Taxi garages at 154-156 Ipswich St., WBCN’s former headquarters at 1265 Boylston St. and McDonald’s at 1282 Boylston St.

In addition, Michael Dee, the team’s chief operating officer, told Banker & Tradesman last fall that the ball club intends to purchase the parking garage behind the park at 49-67 Lansdowne St. 

William Richardson, president of the Fenway Civic Association, said the Sox would be the likely buyer of any real estate on Ipswich Street. “My guess is that the Sox would create office space which would allow them to move people out of Fenway Park to make way for more ballpark-related uses at Fenway,” he said.