Carnegie Library/Union Pacific Musem

CLIENT: City of Council Bluffs, Iowa
LOCATION: Council Bluffs, IA
ARCHITECT: Alley Poyner Macchietto

Lund-Ross completed the historic renovation of the Carnegie Library in Council Bluffs, Iowa. The 45,450 square-foot library was originally built in 1903 and was in a state of disrepair when Union Pacific Railroad purchased the structure for its museum.

The library’s dramatically sagging floors had rendered the support system defective, and Lund-Ross carpenters built a new steel support system into the three-story building. Major work was also completed on the library’s front entrance. The massive limestone stairs leading to the main doors were disassembled, moved eight feet east and re-assembled to make room for new ramps leading to the lower level. The Union Pacific Museum, a gift shop and administrative offices are housed in the library’s lower level.

Maintaining the Carnegie Library’s original architectural details while modernizing the mechanical and electrical functions of the building was a priority. Lund-Ross’s recreated many of the structure’s historic elements like the building’s grand staircase. An elevator was removed and built into a different location to allow Lund-Ross to reconstruct the historic grand staircase in exact detail.

Lund-Ross successfully completed the historic renovation of the Carnegie Library for Union Pacific Railroad. The project was awarded an Excellence in Construction Award from Associated Builders and Contractors and was named the region’s Project of the Year.