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The TD Garden has been undergoing renovations for months now, with the big reveal coming at the start of the current Bruins and Celtics seasons.
While the exterior is great and the new details and concessions added inside are great, there was a common complaint: the seats are too small.
The complaints mainly focused on the balcony seats, which were completely replaced (RIP plastic yellow friends).
Grumbling began on social media over the summer, when fans started experiencing the new seats at concerts and other events. Calls for change intensified during the Bruins preseason, and have continued ever since.
The Garden issued a non-statement a few months ago, essentially saying "deal with it."
A season ticket holder confirmed to us that the Garden sent out survey to select season ticket holders (both Bruins and Celtics) fairly recently, focused on the "Garden experience," and seats were among the topics discussed.
It appears that the Garden has received the message: they announced today that all of the balcony seats will be replaced this offseason.
In a statement on the TD Garden website, Garden President Amy Lattimore said:
In the balcony, we found that the new plush cushioning, armrest design and overall ergonomics were contributing to discomfort.
Based on that, and the recommendations provided by seating consultants, we will be replacing balcony seats and armrests. The new seats, similar in size, will have a custom, narrower armrest and a non-padded seat base and seat back to improve legroom and comfort.
The work will take place this off season. We regret any inconvenience this may have caused you this season. We have appreciated your feedback and look forward to continuing to provide fans the best experience possible.
Well there you have it! If nothing else, it's nice to see the Garden taking fan feedback seriously.
As stated above, the work won't be done until the coming off-season, so you'll have to get cozy with your seatmate for a few more months.
Your thoughts? Were the seating problems overblown, or are you happy the Garden is making the change?