Vancouver, British Columbia-based Mercer Mass Timber has completed the first phase of construction on the Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library in Medora, North Dakota, according to a May 20 news release. The project’s construction costs total $400 million, per a funding breakdown by the library.
Phase one of construction on the 93,000-square-foot structure began last year, and is centered on the museum building and its roof, according to the news release. Kansas City, Missouri-based JE Dunn is the general contractor on the project, according to Mercer Mass Timber’s project page.
The roof is designed to echo the rolling topography of the North Dakota Badlands, and requires precisely engineered connections and joints supported by steel wrapped in wood to maintain a seamless timber look.
Mercer Mass Timber, a subsidiary of wood pulp producer Mercer International, is supplying 1,800 cubic meters of cross-laminated timber and glulam for the structure, which includes custom glulam connections to support the curved roof, according to the release.
The final mass timber delivery date will be on June 1, which coincides with the start date of the second phase of construction. During that phase, Mercer Mass Timber will contribute canopies designed to support photovoltaic panels.
Mercer Mass Timber debuted a construction services division last year, amid growing demand for mass timber in building.
"This project is a testament to what visionary design combined with advanced mass timber engineering can create," said Ricardo Brites, director of engineering & VDC at Mercer Mass Timber, in the news release.
Although Roosevelt’s home state was New York, he took refuge in North Dakota after his wife and mother died on the same day in 1884. He said without having spent time there, he never would have become president. The library is set to open on July 4, 2026.
