Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library Celebrates Completion, Grand Opening

As the United States commemorates its 250th anniversary, the Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library in Medora, North Dakota, is now complete. The milestone culminates a dedicated, multi-year partnership to create a world-class institution honoring the 26th president’s legacy of leadership and conservation.

As construction manager, JE Dunn Construction helped bring the project from concept to completion through a Construction Management at Risk delivery model alongside the Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library Foundation, Snøhetta as design architect and JLG Architects as the architect of record. Construction began in June 2023 and required intensive coordination across a remote Badlands site, innovative procurement and phasing and close collaboration among trades and project partners.

The general contractor’s family of brands also contributed to the success of the Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library. Aptitude provided technology integration services, while Blue Hat provided construction equipment and managed hauling logistics critical to building on the remote site. Form Off-Site Solutions delivered extensive prefabrication, including custom elements for the building skin.

The Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library stands out for both its design ambition and its environmental performance goals. Project features include a 2-acre walkable greenroof with approximately 4,500 cubic yards of soil and more than 140,000 native plugs, about 40,000 square feet of exhibit space, a 300-seat auditorium, a mass timber structural system, FSC-certified wood rainscreen and curtainwall systems and North America’s first curved rammed-earth structure as a centerpiece in the main hall.

The project is pursuing Living Building Challenge Living Certification, LEED Platinum and SITES Platinum certification, making it the first presidential library to pursue LBC certification and one of the first projects in North Dakota to pursue LBC’s highest tier — Living Certification. Sustainability strategies include a 352 kW photovoltaic array with 702 panels, 216 geothermal wells reaching 300 feet deep, water capture and reuse systems, a high-performance building envelope, extensive material vetting and the use of low-carbon concrete to reduce embodied carbon.

By helping deliver this project, the project team contributed to a facility designed to connect Roosevelt’s conservation legacy with future-focused learning and civic engagement. The library officially opened to the public on July 4, offering immersive experiences that challenge every visitor to leave Medora ready to “get in the arena” in their own communities.