12th Avenue Pump Station – CedAr Rapids

Located just east of the National Czech & Slovak Museum & Library, the 12th Avenue Pump Station in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, is a major piece of the city’s $750 million permanent flood control system.

This new pump station is the largest in Cedar Rapids, with two 42-inch vertical mixed-flow pumps capable of moving more than 145,000 gallons per minute. Its companion detention basin allows the station to store and release peak stormwater flows more efficiently, reducing long-term operational costs and footprint.

Building so close to the river presented extraordinary challenges. Situated less than 30 feet from the water’s edge and nearly 10 feet below river elevation, the site demanded exceptional planning, precision, and flexibility. Over more than two years of excavation and construction, Wendler’s team worked under constantly shifting conditions, including extreme weather, rising and falling river levels, repeated flood events, and the persistent challenge of groundwater intrusion. Temporary berms, dewatering systems, and Hesco barriers were deployed multiple times to protect both the work zone and the city’s existing flood defenses, ensuring public safety and flood system integrity were never compromised.

Amid these challenges, Wendler found opportunity for innovation. Through advanced 3D modeling and proactive value engineering, the team identified smarter, safer, and more efficient ways to build—ultimately reducing total project cost by $2.8 million, or nearly 10 percent. The most significant breakthrough came when the team re-engineered the project’s temporary stormwater bypass plan, converting it to a gravity-flow system that eliminated months of high-risk bypass pumping. This single change not only saved substantial cost but also removed a major source of environmental and operational risk for the City.

As part of the sitework package, Wendler crews also installed a complex storm sewer network with multiple pipe sizes, stabilized the riverbank with riprap, and coordinated paving and landscaping activities tied to the relocation of Riverside Park and a new skatepark—all essential parts of the city’s broader flood mitigation and neighborhood revitalization efforts.

The completed project now protects thousands of Cedar Rapids residents and businesses from future flood events, and provides the safety and security needed to fuel growth in the city’s Czech Village and New Bohemia districts.