Dedham, MA The CTA Construction team joined town employees for a groundbreaking ceremony for the new Town Center, which is expected to be complete in July 2017.

The groundbreaking ceremony marks the beginning of the $14.6 million renovation of Dedham’s historic Ames Schoolhouse (circa 1892) into a new town facility that consolidates the existing Town Hall, Senior Center and associated town offices.

“Everyone at CTA Construction is looking forward to transforming the historic Ames Schoolhouse into a modernized Town Center that will benefit Dedham residents of all ages for decades to come,” said Steve Taylor, a project executive at CTA Construction.

The construction plan includes repairing and refinishing many of the Ames Schoolhouse’s interior historical features and finishes. Most of the exterior building components are original to the building and will be refinished, including the windows.

Once complete, the 50,000 s/f building will feature the town’s Council on Aging on the first floor and town offices on the second, third and fourth floors. The Council on Aging’s new home – expected to be 16,000 s/f – will have improved accessibility and will include a large multi-purpose room that residents can use for events and as a meeting space.

Town offices will be spread across the second, third and the newly-constructed fourth floor, which will also contain community meeting rooms. Workers from CTA Construction spent the first few weeks of construction removing asbestos and taking out interior walls.