Teddy Roosevelt’s presidential library is about two-thirds complete, with the opening on track to coincide with the 250th anniversary of the United States’ independence. That is according to Tony Erickson, associate director of design and construction for TRPL, who spoke to The Dickinson Press today: “That’s always a tricky one, but if you went off of scheduled timelines, we’re about 60% to 65% through,” he said.
In May, Wood Central reported that the first stage of the presidential library—the first to utilise mass timber and a hybrid steel frame—was coming together with crews braving the elements to complete work on the sloping roof, designed to thrive in North Dakota’s demanding climate.
Erickson expressed quiet confidence that the project, which would become the 36th project to achieve full Living Building Certification through the International Living Future Institute, would meet its timeline and goals: “The project we set out to do in Medora with our sustainability goals and aggressive timeline are all being met in great collaboration with the partners we have from design to construction.”
“We’ve really, really taken an abundant mindset of, ‘dream big and go for it,'” Erickson said. “In this building, every theme is so different, there’s no square corners. The uniqueness and challenges of the design were hard, but we assembled a great team to be able to pull that off.”
Key features include a living roof, a central rammed-earth wall, and a boardwalk made of reclaimed wood. The 30-foot-high, 240-foot-long rammed-earth wall, built by Winn Construction, was completed in May after three months and 12,000 man-hours of work. Whilst the living roof, constructed from cross-laminated timber, glulam, and about two feet of soil, was completed last month. Still under construction is the boardwalk, on schedule to finish in December, which Erickson said will become one of the library’s signature features.
“That’s a big feature of the site,” he said. “So having that complete by December is going to be something that’s extremely recognisable to the public along with the main entry points of the building.” When finished, the nearly mile-long boardwalk will connect visitors to the landscape and the Maah Daah Hey Trail, according to the library’s website.
Once areas are “dust free,” Wood Central understands that exhibit installation will begin. Erickson said the west wing would be turned over in three phases, and the east wing, along with the café and gift shop, would be ready by April 1, 2026. Before the public can enter, the library must obtain a certificate of occupancy confirming that it meets all legal and safety codes, which Erickson estimated would be available in May 2026.
- To learn more about the Presidential Library, click here for Wood Central’s special feature, including an interview with Nick Milestone, the Vice President of Building and Construction for Mercer Mass Timber.
