I can not even begin to express how much I absolutely adore you for taking up this project! I can't wait to check it out, though I am entirely aware that it requires time and patience to create something as absolutely fantastic and complex as this!
But because you mentioned you were in need of meshes, permit me to suggest Theirry's meshes.
They're low-poly count, so you should be able to avoid lag. I'd give you a link to the thread, but I'm lazy despite my excitement concerning this project.