The bricks continue to fall slowly into place for Cass County’s effort to restore its former courthouse, as leaders open a new round of discussions on what direction the longstanding project should take next.

The committee steering the project invited the public to a meeting about the ongoing restoration of the century-old building Tuesday afternoon, where Corey Leon, a member of the nonprofit National Development Council, shared advice on how the county could potentially fund future restoration work. Leon’s presentation focused on several potential avenues Cass County could take to fund potential restorations to the building, including tax credits and private-public partnerships.

Around 35 people attended the meeting, said Cass County Administrator Karen Folks.

“The response from the audience was very positive at the conclusion of the meeting,” Folks said. “They felt this is the direction we need to take in order to make an informed decision about the future of the courthouse.”

The meeting was the first of several county leaders have lined up to share information about possible reuse ideas and funding sources for the project.

At 4 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 6, the county will invite Joseph Whitsett, a representative with real estate agency TWG Development, to discuss with the audience possible ways to refit the former courthouse for either public or private uses. In January, the county is looking to bring in a representative with the Michigan Historic Preservation Network to share information about preservation easements and historic tax credits that could benefit the courthouse project, Folks said.

Both meetings will take place at the Cass County Road Commission Building, located at 340 N. O’Keefe St., Cassopolis.

The renewed discussion is the latest step the courthouse committee — comprised of county commissioners Robert Ziliak, Bernie Williamson and Roseann Marchetti — and their supporters in the county government and community have taken to advance the restoration of the 1899 courthouse, which has been closed to the public since the opening of the Cass County Law and Courts Building in 2003.

By bringing in experts on economic development and real estate, the county is hoping to generate ideas on how to fund renovations, which could cost millions of dollars, Folks said.

“I think after we become more educated regarding these financial drivers that are out there, we can have a productive, facilitated discussion and determine what is a good direction to take the project,” she said.

Since 2014, the county has invested around $200,000 to help preserve the courthouse, which has suffered from mold damage since closing. So far, crews have installed new heating and cooling systems as well as new roofing on the structure to contain mold growth.

“We want to make sure we continue to take care of the facility so that it remains a viable structure,” Folks said.

County leaders recently hired a company to evaluate the mold problem, and will determine how to deal with the issue following the results of the study, she said.

In the meantime, the courthouse committee will continue to gather information in hopes of coming up with a possible direction to drive the project in by next summer, Folks said. Public input will continue to play a role in the county’s decision making as well, as it has from the beginning of the project, Folks said.

“I was excited about the energy in that room [Tuesday],” she said. “There was a committed group of people present that are excited about moving the project forward.”