CLINTON TOWNSHIP, Mich. (WXYZ) — A Macomb County nonprofit dedicated to empowering adults with disabilities is moving into a new, much larger home in Clinton Township — a milestone decades in the making and rooted in one family's personal mission.
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Dutton Farm, which serves nearly 200 adults across Macomb and Oakland counties, is relocating to a 16,000-square-foot building on North Gratiot Avenue — a medieval-inspired structure that has served as a restaurant and a church over the years. The new space is eight times larger than the organization's current location in Sterling Heights.
The nonprofit traces its origins to 2010, when the Brown family founded it after their daughter Becca, who was born with Down syndrome, found herself without meaningful options after graduating high school.
"When my sister graduated high school, and I graduated high school, the trajectory of our lives looked completely different," Jenny Brown, Dutton Farm's CEO, said.
"My sister was kind of stuck at home, without a lot of options, so my parents decided to start a nonprofit that gave her and her friends meaningful activities to do every day," Brown said.
The new facility is well known to many in the community.
"A lot of people from the community know this property, they have a memory or feeling associated with it," Brown said.
Brown described the move as a meaningful moment for the organization.
"It feels intentional, special, unique," Brown said.
The expanded space will include dedicated areas for art, culinary job training, and animal care, among other programming.
Ricky Chynoweth, who has been a Dutton Farm participant for nearly a year, said he is eager for what the new building will bring.
"It's gonna help us have a bigger group, and get more people," Chynoweth said.
"I'm looking forward to being here, it'll be nice to have all our friends here and teachers," Chynoweth said.
State Sen. Kevin Hertel, who represents Michigan's 12th Senate District, said his office is working on grant funding in the current budget cycle to help develop the new spaces.
"I think it'll be great for the community I serve and so many that serve in the legislature with me," Hertel said.
"We already know they provide such a benefit to adults with disabilities, all across our communities, and so we want to make sure that funding is available to continue doing that work for as many people as possible," Hertel said.
An official ribbon-cutting is scheduled for next Monday.
Interest in the new location has already been strong.
"Our phone is ringing off the hook, we can't keep up with the phone calls of individuals excited to join our program now and take advantage of all the options we're gonna provide," Brown said.
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