Ulster County government is buying a 17,000-square-foot office building on Joys Lane in Kingston to consolidate the various offices of the district attorney, the family and child advocacy center (FHAC), and the crime-victims program of the probation department in one location. The county legislature approved the purchase during its September session for $3.6 million and approximately $105,000 in closing costs.
The building, constructed in 1985, previously served as headquarters of the Kingstone Insurance Company. It has ample parking.
The purchase will include a duplex owned by the current property owner next door which will serve as the new home of the Family and Child Advocacy Center (FCAC), currently in leased space on Hurley Avenue, and the crime victims unit now in a county-owned building on Pearl Street.
FCAC, a joint initiative of county social services and the district attorney, uses the resources and experience of various law-enforcement agencies to investigate incidents of child abuse, domestic violence, and assaults on the elderly.
The district attorney’s office is currently spread across several locations, including the former Key Bank building next to the courthouse on Wall Street.
This consolidation will enhance privacy for both staff and victims and improve coordination between units with related work areas.
“The acquisition of the Joys Lane properties will bring the entire team together at one location,” said Peter Criswell, chair of the Ulster County Legislature. “This move will better support staff and strengthen the critical services they provide to our community.”
“The need for the district attorney’s office to be housed in a more conducive space for our dedicated staff, the public, and victims has been well-documented over the years, and I included my goal of housing ‘Under One Roof’ in my mission statement released in January 2024,” said district attorney Emmanuel Nneji.
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