The Twins will begin renovating the right-field seating area at Target Field this month after getting a plan approved Wednesday by the Minnesota Ballpark Authority.

The changes, all funded by the team, won't affect the park's outfield dimensions and will reduce the ballpark's seating capacity from 39,500 to about 39,200.

The project, which should be completed for the 2013 season, will create another area for group ticket sales, similar to the left-field roof deck. The Twins also want to remove some obstructed-view seats and reduce concourse congestion between Gate 34 and Gate 29.

Seats in Sections 139, 140 and 141 will be replaced by seven rows of drink-rail seating, covered by a canopy that will have radiant heating. Those 200 drink-rail seats will be packaged for groups, but when available they'll be sold individually, at prices to be announced.

Next to the drink-rail section, the Twins are constructing an elevated standing-room area, where any fan with a ticket can take in the view from the right-field corner. The facade of the standing-room area will feature the ballpark's familiar Kasota limestone.

The team declined to say how much the project will cost, but it's believed to be far less than the $6 million the Twins spent after the 2010 season adding a second video board and the right-field clock tower.

"We didn't miss much when we designed Target Field; one area we decided we could improve upon was that area in the right-field corner," Matt Hoy, the team's senior vice president of operations, said in his presentation to the Ballpark Authority.

JOE CHRISTENSEN