It’s a project that will cost almost $9.6 million – Renovating the inside of the historic Cass County Courthouse.
Back in October, the Cass County commissioners approved $8.1 million of American Rescue Plan money to go toward restoring the courthouse.
The other $1.5 million will come from federal grants.
This building has sat vacant for 20 years, and the community is excited for a new chapter in the building’s history.
The sound of the clock tower can be heard all across the village of Cassopolis.
The bells ring from the top of the historic Cass County Courthouse, built back in 1899.
“There’s no other architectural thing in Cass that embodies the soul of the town,” said Alisa Ridgway.
The courthouse holds fond memories for Ridgway and her cousin Jane Bergman.
They both grew up in this community and are happy to see the historic building being remodeled instead of sitting empty or even going away.
“I watched a lot of changes in Cassopolis. It went through a very rough period,” said Bergman.
This renovation project is not the first-time major construction will take place.
The courthouse saw work done in the 1970’s, but Matthew Newton says it covered up some of the history.
"They did a lot of work to try to make sure the building was still useful for what it was being used for, but one of the downsides is that it took away some of that history," said Matthew Newton, Cass County Administrator.
The county commissioners heard from several members of the community about how important it was to save this building.
“I have residents that tell me they got married there or they did the civil service exam there or they remember going to court there when we had the court here,” said Roseann Marchetti (R), Cass County Commissioner.
Work is expected to get started in the next few weeks, with things hopefully wrapping up by spring of 2024.