The history of Dedham, Massachusetts from 2000 to present includes several large commercial and residential developments, the Town's 375th anniversary, municipal building projects, and changes to the Charter.
Major developments in Dedham include the Jewish Rashi School, a $30 million building on the 162-acre campus of Hebrew SeniorLife's NewBridge on the Charles in the fall of 2010.
[2] After Legacy Place, a shopping mall with 80 stores, restaurants, and a 15-screen movie theater opened, businesses in Dedham Square suffered.
[4] In the early years of the century, the 103' water pipe that stood on Walnut Street across from Oakdale Avenue was torn down to make room for a new house.
[9] Town Meeting Representatives and other supporters of a Senior Center, a building discussed and debated for more than 30 years,[7] "wooed and applauded loudly,"[10] and were dancing in the aisles after the article passed.
[26][25] It includes the coat he wore as Commander of the Carrol Post of the Grand Army of the Republic, and a toolbox with symbolic tools he used in his life such as a compass, a trowel, and a pen.
[25][24] Following the construction of the new Public Safety Building,the Dedham Square Planning Committee voted to recommend the old police headquarters be demolished and a new town green be built on the site in December 2021.
[28] In March 2012 the Board of Selectmen created a Charter Advisory Committee to review the Town's governing document and to recommend changes.
[29] The committee consisted of Thomas R. Polito, Jr., Joseph Pascarella, Kevin Mawe, Jay Donahue, Brian Keaney, Cherylann Sheehan, and Camille Zahka,[30] and met more than 25 times before presenting their findings to the Selectmen in August 2013.
It included Chairman Carmen Dello Iacono, Michelle Apuzzio, Gemma Martin, Andrew Haley, Lance Hartford, Michele Heffernan, and Tom Ryan.
[32] Due to technological glitches, power outages in some parts of town as a result of a storm, and running a meeting of nearly 300 people plus other officials, it did not finish until after midnight the next day.
[32] A team of more than 20 people worked weekly since the previous August to iron out the issues related to the first ever virtual town meeting.
[33][34] In November 2021, town meeting was held on the tennis courts at the Dedham Health and Athletic Complex, a space large enough for everyone to be indoors while still social distancing.
[35] The owners, Lloyd and Roberta Gainsboro, were given a plaque thanking them for shutting down their tennis courts for the evening and hosting the first ever town meeting held "in a building that's big enough to park airplanes in.
A separate election was called for when Carmen Dello Iacono stepped down as Selectman to becoming the Town's electrical inspector.
[53] The 2016 Annual Town Meeting spent two hours debating the construction of a new, stand-alone Early Childhood Education Center at the Dexter School.
[57] The goal of the mural, which depicts rubber ducks floating down the nearby Charles River, was to slow down traffic near the school to improve safety.
[59] The ciborium was originally used by the French Navy in the 1700s and eventually was given to a Boston priest, possibly Bishop Jean-Louis Lefebvre de Cheverus.
In September, the same month the Town was incorporated by the Great and General Court, a 375th Birthday Party was held at the Endicott Estate with over 7,500 people attending.
[62] Other events included a cocktail party at the Endicott Estate, an Ecumenical Church Service where each congregation gave their history, an essay contest for schoolchildren, and more.
[65] In 2015, the Dedham Fire Department unveiled a plaque on the front of their headquarters honoring the line of duty death of Chief Henry J.
[66] During the ceremony, an alarm sounded and several firefighters left on Engine 4 to extinguish a cooking fire at a housing complex for senior citizens.
[66] A few weeks later, the Henry J. Harrigan Medal of Honor was awarded to Lieutenant William Walsh and Firefighter Jared Blaney for "going above and beyond the call of duty and putting themselves at extreme risk" by entering a burning building on Harding Terrace to save a victim trapped inside.
[82] Commemorating its 30th year, the James Joyce Ramble in 2013, 2014 and 2015 was the host for the USA Track & Field National Masters 10K Championship.
[88] In 2021, a grant from the Dedham Cultural Council enabled a restoration and maintenance plan to be implemented by Sal D'Antonia.
The Flag Day Parade, one of Dedham's most beloved traditions, was nearly cancelled following the financial crisis of 2007–2008, but a fundraising campaign saved it.
[93] October 21, 2022, the 225th anniversary of the launching of the USS Constitution, was celebrated as Commander John A. Benda Day in Dedham following a vote at Town Meeting and a proclamation from the Select Board.