NORWICH – The Chenango County District Attorney’s Office and Chenango County Officials have agreed to lease space at The Eaton Center in Norwich, a move the DA said was necessary to maintain active grand jury operations.

The board approval cites the lease will be for a term of five years, beginning January 1, 2027 through December 31, 2032 with the option for a mutual lease renewal agreed on by the County of Chenango and The Eaton Center owners, Who’s We?, LLC.

Chenango County District Attorney Michael Ferrarese was not available for comment, yet recently said the 3,300-square-foot space is large enough to hold 75 to 90 people called for jury duty, making it an outstanding space for a grand jury, and one he did not want to lose.

When not needed for a grand jury, the DA’s Office may permit use of the space by other county departments for meetings, conferences, and training events as needed and will provide additional file storage space.

Funds in the amount of $32,400 were authorized to pay for the first two years of the lease agreement with the remainder of the agreement paid month-by-month.

According to Ferrarese, the remaining three years of the lease will be built into the DA’s budget starting in 2029.