Abilis Celebrates Grand Opening of The Cohen Abilis Advancement Center in Stamford

Abilis, the nonprofit organization providing services and support to more than 800 individuals with disabilities and their families throughout Fairfield County, is excited to announce the grand opening of The Cohen Abilis Advancement Center at 78 Harvard Avenue in Stamford.

The Center was officially opened on January 30th with a ribbon-cutting ceremony featuring Alex Cohen, local dignitaries, Abilis staff and board members, and Abilis community members. The Steven & Alexandra Cohen Foundation, led by Alex Cohen, provided a $3.78 million grant for the purchase and renovation of the building.

“This grand opening marks an incredible milestone for Abilis and the hundreds of individuals with developmental and intellectual disabilities we serve throughout Fairfield County as we celebrate the grand opening of phase one of our renovation of The Cohen Abilis Advancement Center,” said Amy Montimurro, CEO and president of Abilis.

“This  Center significantly expands our capacity to provide exceptional support and programs to the community. Thanks to the extraordinary generosity of the Steven & Alexandra Cohen Foundation, and specifically Alex Cohen, president of the Foundation, for her vision, support and commitment to Abilis, we now have a beautiful, fully accessible space that will allow us to offer our programs and serve even more families who have been waiting for services.”

“Access to high quality programs can help support a dignified and meaningful life,” said Alex Cohen, president of The Steven & Alexandra Cohen Foundation.

“We are proud to see The Cohen Abilis Advancement Center open and serve as a central hub for individuals with disabilities in our community.”

The Cohen Abilis Advancement Center’s strategic location at 78 Harvard Avenue, with its close proximity to I-95, offers ample parking, making it easily accessible for Abilis community members from throughout lower Fairfield County.

The convenient location is also close to public transportation, including train and bus lines, providing a great location for staff, program participants and their families to easily get to the Center and participate in all of its programs and services.

The building doubles the space that Abilis has in its Greenwich headquarters and provides space for programs and services to enhance the quality of life of individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Renovation of the building is being done in stages, with the first phase on the third floor recently completed. Phase two on the second floor will be in the future.

The building was previously owned by 78 Harvard Associates, LLC, an affiliate of Baywater Properties.

The newly renovated space features an open, accessible floor plan across two floors and offers:

• Expanded LEAP (Life Skills, Employment, Advocacy, Partnership) transitions program space
• A career development and vocational training center
• Enhanced space for Abilis’ Supported Typing/STeP program
• Dedicated areas for music, art, cooking, dance, fitness programs and more
• A day habilitation center
• Recreational space
• Computer technology training
• Administrative offices

The Cohen Abilis Advancement Center is Abilis’ second location in Stamford, joining The Therapy Center at Abilis in downtown Stamford on Summer Street. The buildings are in addition to the organization’s headquarters on Glenville Street in Greenwich.

“This expansion in both space and geography allows Abilis to better serve the growing needs of our community and expand access to our programs and services for more families in Fairfield County who have a loved one with a disability,” said Montimurro.

“We’ve had a waitlist of families waiting for us to have the space to accommodate individuals — and this building gives us that extra space. Again, we are very grateful to the Steven & Alexandra Cohen Foundation for their partnership and support of this project and The Cohen Abilis Advancement Center demonstrates both organizations’ commitment to meeting the evolving needs of individuals with developmental disabilities in the community.”

To learn more about Abilis and The Cohen Abilis Advancement Center, visit abilis.us.

Abilis is a 501c3 non-profit organization that supports more than 800 individuals with disabilities and their families from birth throughout their lives. Founded in 1951, Abilis is a leader in providing meaningful supports to the community in Fairfield County, Connecticut, in towns including Darien, Greenwich, New Canaan, Norwalk, Ridgefield, Stamford, Westport and Wilton.

The organization has a long-standing reputation for individualized, high-quality care.