County moves forward on storage building plans

Bartholomew County government is moving forward with plans for a new storage building at the county fairgrounds.

Bartholomew County Commissioners this week decided to release a notice to bidders for the project.

Commissioners say that there has been an ongoing need for permanent storage space. The county is losing storage space at the former county highway garage and at the former Elks building, which has been torn down.

Commissioner Tony London pointed to the county’s continuing need to store important documents for up to 50 years. At one point the weight of paperwork threatened to collapse the fourth floor of the Bartholomew County courthouse, said Commissioner Larry Kleinhenz.

The estimated cost of the climate-controlled building is $1 million dollars.

The first advertisement for bids was scheduled for publication today and bids are expected to be opened on Sept. 29.