When a plan comes together, and a community unites for a cause, amazing things can happen quickly. That’s the case for the new Ability Inclusion Services facility that cut the ribbon on Jan. 28.

The Redwood Grove Community center at 2574 S. Redwood Road in West Valley City was constructed in less than 10 months. Ground was broken on March 31, 2025, and with the help of a team of construction and management experts, the board members of AIS joined with ChamberWest ambassadors, West Valley City officials and friends/supporters to celebrate the achievement.

“This is a fully ADA compliant residential building,” said Executive Director Kristen Floyd. “Thanks to our supporters and generous donors, every element of this building is new and fully ADA compliant, and we can’t wait for residents to move into our 12 apartments.”

She said the new space represents years of dreaming, planning and saving. While those in attendance saw a slide show covering each phase of construction from that groundbreaking to the ribbon cutting, Floyd thanked a long list of community members who worked to make the facility a reality. 

“This facility helps us support those who don’t have a voice,” she said. It serves adults with cognitive and developmental disabilities, continuing a mission that the center has had since its inception in 1958. Back then, it was formed by a group of parents whose children had disabilities, renting out a barracks at Fort Douglas for just $1 per year. When a public law passed in 1975 mandated education for all children, the center changed its focus to assisting adults with disabilities. 

In 1985, the center began to raise funds in order to build its own permanent facilities. With the help of Salt Lake County, West Valley City and South Salt Lake, that vision became a reality on June 30, 1988. Additional day locations were opened in the 1990s so that individuals with very significant disabilities could have community and sensory experiences. Transportation was then introduced in the 2000s and has since expanded to a fleet of a dozen accessible vehicles to meet the diverse needs of the population it serves. The center changed its name to Ability Inclusion Services in 2024.

At a West Valley City Council meeting in December, Development Director Karina McLellan said the residential program supports daily living skills, grocery shopping, community engagement and financial and medical case management. AIS is planning a Spring Fling Gala on April 16 at the Utah Cultural Celebration Center that will raise funds for its Community Day program and a new summer youth program for students with disabilities ages 18-22. She said center initiatives strengthen long-term planning and stability for participants and their families. 

West Valley City Mayor Karen Lang helped with the ribbon cutting, saying she was “excited to have this in our city.”