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Geneva voters appeared to give a thumbs down to the city’s request for a new, 45,000-square-foot police station, on Tuesday’s primary ballot for $59.4 million, according to unofficial returns.

In the referendum, the no votes led with 3,985 to the yes votes of 2,088, with early voting, mail-in ballots and all 18 precincts reporting, according to the Kane County Clerk’s website.

Results won’t be certified until two weeks after the election.

City officials sought to have an up-to-date facility to meet modern policing standards to be built on property it already owns on South Street next to Public Works, 1800 South St.

Officials compared the Geneva station’s proposed price tag to the St. Charles’ police station, which was built for $24,600 before the pandemic and on land that already had underground infrastructure.

The land the city already owns is leased to the Geneva Park District as ballfields and named Sam Hill Park – after the late alderman and who was also a supporter of the parks.

Neighbors to the ballfields objected to losing the park and open space for a police station.

If approved, officials had planned to sell the current location and further reduce the cost of the bond issue.

As part of its referendum information plan, city officials hosted in-person tours of the current facility, at 20 Police Plaza, to show its inefficiencies, crowded work spaces, paper-thin walls, and damaged areas from broken overhead pipes and sewer backups.

The current police station was originally built in 1915 as a car dealership.

Eventually, it also served as the city hall, the former library, fire department and public works. A middle section was added in 1953 and another in the 1980s when the police department was moved to the first floor.

In addition to in-person tours, officials hosted virtual tours, a podcast, a commercial and other informational sessions with voters.

Check back for updates.