As Riverside is working toward a referendum next year for funds to construct a new public safety building for both police and firefighters, residents have one main concern: the cost.
Including the costs of construction, “soft” costs, contingency for potential unexpected problems and price escalation due to the expected start of construction in 2028, projections show the new facility will cost Riverside $29.98 million.
To pay those costs, the village is preparing the referendum question for the April 2027 election, asking voters for permission to issue bonds worth $29.99 million.
According to Williams Architects, the firm Riverside has contracted for design and community engagement work on the new facility, the cost is the biggest concern among a limited number of residents who have responded to surveys at open house events or on the village’s website.
Of 25 residents who attended Williams’ open house in May, 21 agreed the facility is needed in Riverside; 13 of them said sustainability in design and construction is important while 10 said it would be important only if it can be done at a reasonable cost.
And in a word bubble of the attendees’ free responses sharing their concerns, “cost,” “time,” and “not being approved” were the largest words, showing their relative weight in responses, with many of the less common concerns including some variation on the cost concerns.
Williams provided the same data for 19 residents who took the survey online after the open house. While 10 said the facility was needed, the rest were split between being undecided and disagreeing. Six residents agreed with the importance of sustainability while seven agreed only if the costs stay reasonable.
And in this word bubble, the three largest and most heavily weighted entries all had to do with the price and its effect on residents’ property taxes.
In the face of these concerns, village staff are offering residents the opportunity to tour the existing public safety facilities and see what the conditions are like first-hand. While there are no more group tours scheduled for June, Public Safety Director Matthew Buckley told the Landmark more are planned for the rest of the summer and the fall.
At village trustees’ June 18 meeting, architect Joseph Juhl of Williams told officials that, all things considered, Riverside’s proposed new facility is less expensive for its size than other similar, recent projects. With 46,500 square feet and a price of nearly $30 million, the facility would cost $645 per square foot.
Other new public safety facilities that were proposed or are in the works ranged from $714 to $1,320 per square foot in West Dundee, Libertyville, Wilmette and Geneva. Only one example came in at a lower cost per square foot of $616 for Schaumburg’s new police station, though Juhl noted the facility, which is also a Williams project, is about three times the size of Riverside’s and overall costs nearly $90 million. Geneva voters in March shot down the city’s referendum to fund its $60 million facility, which was proposed to be 1,500 square feet smaller than Riverside’s project.
“We feel that this project is very realistically on target, or even better than average, for what we are providing in this design,” Juhl said. “The efficient design of a fairly compact building with a fairly compact structure and a program that is stacked helps to reduce that overall cost.”
Broadly speaking, residents’ feedback showed support for the facility, with each of the four existing exterior design options garnering approval with some residents being skeptical of the need for the new facility or its projected scope.
Juhl said the Williams team is planning to show off its presentation from May’s open house at more events over the summer, including at the July 3 concert, at the farmers market and other events before the concept is finalized in September and presented in October.
