Mike Wolanin | The Republic Bartholomew County Commissioners Larry Kleinhenz, from left, Tony London and Carl Lienhoop discuss agenda items during county commissioners meeting in the Bartholomew County Governmental Office Building in Columbus, Ind., Monday, Jan. 12, 2026.
The Bartholomew County commissioners approved a contract for Larry Mohr Construction Inc. to begin construction on a new storage building at the county fairgrounds.
Commissioner Tony London R-District 3, said that the county has worked with Larry Mohr Construction before on several occasions and they have a great working relationship.
The $740,350 contract falls under the expected cost of just under $1 million for the construction of the new facility. Prior to approval, London stipulated that the project have “substantial works to be completed on or before July 1 of this year.”
Construction on the facility should begin soon once the weather turns more favorable.
The storage facility is important for the county to keep government documents secured in a safe location. Currently documents are kept all over the county: the Bartholomew County Courthouse, Purdue Extension Building, Bartholomew County Health Department and the Bartholomew County Youth Services Center.
Indiana law requires that certain documents be stored for 50 years with some even in climate-controlled environments.
According to county officials, the new facility at the fairgrounds will be close enough to downtown to house these documents from all the different county departments that need storage.
