PHOTOS: Center Town Hall Renovations

The Center Town Hall renovations are coming along as the Permanent Building Committee yesterday toured the construction progress.

The $2.4 million project is being paid for with money from the Community Preservation Act fund, which is a surcharge on residents' tax bills.

The building has a new addition to the back, along with an elevator and a wheel chair lift where necessary to make it compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act.

New windows have been installed and ceilings raised where necessary. The building has brand new electrical wiring and HVAC systems.

The building has re-vamped gallery space, studio space for artists, a room for Chelmsford Telemedia, a "seminar room" for lectures or meetings, and new sprinkler systems in each room for fire safety.

The stage area includes a changing room for actors and storage space for the piano.

Susan Gates, director of the Center for the Arts at the Center Town Hall said $100,000 for furnishings will have to be raised.

"Seating alone for the auditorium is $30,000," she said. "We can't just buy anything. We want this to be a first-class renovation. We're spending $2.4 million on the building, we don't just want some broken plastic chairs."