Bartholomew County Approves New Fairgrounds Storage Facility

County commissioners sign contract with local construction firm to build much-needed storage space.

Published on Feb. 24, 2026

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Bartholomew County has approved a contract with Larry Mohr Construction to build a new storage facility at the county fairgrounds. The $740,000 project will provide additional space for the county to store items like evidence from criminal investigations, which must be kept for decades.

Why it matters

The new storage facility is crucial for Bartholomew County, which has struggled with a lack of adequate storage space in recent years after losing space at other county-owned properties. The fairgrounds location will centralize the county's storage needs in one convenient location.

The details

The Bartholomew County Commissioners formalized the contract with Larry Mohr Construction, the only bidder for the project, and gave notice to proceed on the work. The bidding process was restarted in November after an initial attempt in September failed to attract any bids, likely due to restrictive building requirements. The new facility will help the county store items like criminal evidence, which must be maintained for up to 50 years.

  • The bidding process was originally started in September 2025 but received no bids.
  • In November 2025, the county commissioners put the project back out to bid.
  • On February 24, 2026, the county commissioners formalized the contract with Larry Mohr Construction.

The players

Larry Mohr Construction

A construction firm based in Flat Rock, Indiana that was awarded the contract to build the new storage facility at the Bartholomew County Fairgrounds.

Bartholomew County Commissioners

The governing body of Bartholomew County, Indiana that approved the contract with Larry Mohr Construction and is overseeing the construction of the new storage facility.

Steve Ruble

An engineer with Strand Associates who brought the contract to the county commissioners for approval.

Tony London

The president of the Bartholomew County Commissioners who noted the county's need for more storage space.

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What they’re saying

“We must provide adequate storage space for the county's needs, including long-term evidence storage.”

— Tony London, President, Bartholomew County Commissioners (1010wcsi.com)

What’s next

Construction on the new storage facility at the Bartholomew County Fairgrounds is expected to begin in the coming weeks after the contract was finalized.

The takeaway

This project highlights the ongoing challenge for local governments to maintain sufficient storage capacity as their needs evolve over time. The new fairgrounds facility will help centralize and streamline Bartholomew County's storage requirements, ensuring critical items like criminal evidence are properly preserved.