EnableUtah is a 50-year-old nonprofit founded by two mothers of daughters with disabilities who saw a void in services offered to physically and intellectually disabled adults in Ogden. For most of its history, Enable offered day services in leased space in an industrial area while operating its employment program a few miles away in an owned manufacturing building. Both facilities were somewhat remote and lacked social opportunities for program participants.

Enable’s board and staff dreamed of a new facility combining all their services in one location. Meanwhile, the City of Odgen’s Redevelopment Agency was repurposing the site of a historic stockyard as a business park and was looking for viable enterprises to relocate their manufacturing facilities and offices to the struggling area.

Building sales proceeds and a proposed construction loan gave them a start, and the RDA provided a discounted land price, but funds for the new project were short until CDFA offered an $8.5 million NMTC allocation, which raised enough equity from a U.S. Bancorp CDC investment to close the financing gap. Ally Bank also provided a loan to the project.

Enable completed their 68,600 sq. ft. multi-purpose building in 2020. It includes warehouse space, a document shredding facility, loading docks, and a woodshop. A two-level portion includes a lobby, training room, library, adult daycare area, restrooms, cafeteria, and kitchen on the lower level, with offices for the organization on the second level.

Day enrichment programs, employment services, and training are finally under one roof in a location that integrates clients into the larger Ogden community. Participants appreciate the ability to work a 4-hour shift, then switch to day program activities on the same day, an option that was not feasible before. The new business park will include a mix of light industry, offices, retail, and food services, along with hiking and biking trails and kayaking. The park is located along a frequent UTA bus line and is approximately one mile from the regional commuter rail station.

The project provides 42 full-time positions and 258 part-time (28.5 hours) permanent jobs that include employment support, targeting individuals with disabilities who would otherwise not be able to find employment. All positions include paid holidays, vacation, and sick days, as well as retirement contributions. Full-time positions also include health, dental, disability, and life insurance benefits.