New Geneva police station, city hall renovation? Officials unveil $131M-plus master plan

Geneva alderpersons recently unveiled a facilities master plan that includes building a new police department and renovating City Hall, among projects that could cost upward of $131 million.

Under the plans, the City Hall renovation would connect the building to the former library building next door – along with a partial demolition that would preserve the 4,000-square-foot 1908 historical portion of the library.

David Yandel, vice president of FGM Architects in Oak Brook and Leigh McMillen senior vice president of Leopardo Companies Inc. in Hoffman Estates, worked on the facilities master plan for cost and constructability.

They presented the plan at a special Geneva Committee of the Whole June 23. The presentation included recommendations and costs for the existing Geneva Public Works building, 1800 S. St., and Fire Stations No. 1 at 200 E. Side Drive and No. 2 at 2530 Fargo Blvd.

Projected costs for all projects are $131.6 million to $138.9 million, officials said. The plan recommends undergoing the work in phases.

The Geneva City Council is expected to hold a final vote on the facilities plan July 7 or July 21.

“Adoption of the ... facilities master plan is paramount, and then the next step outside of that adoption would be the implementation strategies,” Yandel said.

Second Ward Alderperson Richard Marks said he supported a new police department.

“The first comment I’ll make is yes, the police station is a must,” Marks said. “I’ve taken tours of that, it’s still high on the priority for me.”

Marks also supported the option for a City Hall, 22 S. First St., renovation. The plan would keep the oldest part of the former library building, particularly because it would keep City Hall in the downtown.

“You’re still seeing everything coming through in phases,” Marks said. “I mean, there’s no way we’re going to get $139 million in one fell swoop. We know that from last year’s studies.”

In January, the City Council approved a $68 million building referendum for the April 1 primary ballot, then removed it because of a property tax calculation error.

Yandel said among the strategies the City could consider are staggered referendum projects or others including increases in capital spending.

“A lot of these improvements for Fire Station No. 1 or City (Hall) or public works could happen at maybe just $2-$3-$4-$5 million a year, as opposed to needing the big chunk of $40 or $50 million,” Yandel said.

First Ward Alderperson Anaïs Bowring said she was also inclined to keep the oldest part of the former library building.

“That is what we’re asking, frankly, (of) residents in our historic district to do as well,” Bowring said. “As a resident of the historic district, it would sit pretty poorly with me if we just said we’re going to demolish this very historically significant building, when there is a reasonable path to incorporate it.”

Bowring also agreed a new police department and replacing Fire Station No. 2 are significant needs for the city.

“Anything we do to that building (Fire Station No. 2) is just like throwing good money after bad,” Bowring said.

Second Ward Alderperson Bradley Kosirog agreed with the need for a new police station and for the option to keep City Hall downtown.

But Kosirog asked for some way to explain how St. Charles – a city with about 10,000 more in population – built its new police station for less than the amount proposed for Geneva’s.

St. Charles’s new 56,000-square-foot police department cost $24.6 million. Construction started in 2018 and the building opened in late 2019.

The almost-referendum cost of a new police station in Geneva was $45 million.

“It was the No. 1 question I got last year,” Kosirog said. “It’s hard to answer without having specifics. I would appreciate if I could get a head of that little bit and be able to discuss that with the public more accurately.”

Yandel said they would do so.