The exterior walls are up, the roof is on and exterior stone work has been installed. On Thursday, the construction crew was working on the canopy above the drive-through, and inside, drywall was being installed.

“It’s amazing, all of the changes we’re seeing from day to day,” said Kelly Haman, events coordinator for the center. “Now you can really visualize what the space is going to look like and how much room will be available.”

Originally, August 15 was set as the building’s completion date, but with construction delays and the rainy weather, the timeline has been pushed back several months.

“Right now, we’re at Feb. 1, 2019 for completion of construction with the opening set for March 1,” Haman said. “We hope it may be sooner, but time will tell as things progress.”

Supervisor Doug Bailey said he’s pleased to the progress on the building.

“We’re excited to see the sheet rocking going on,” he said. “And every construction project has it’s challenges. This year with the weather, it’s been one of the bigger challenges.”

Bailey said he didn’t believe a month or two delay wouldn’t impact the operation of the conference center.

“But in the big scheme of things, the county, the communities and the area will rely upon this facility’s services for years to come,” he said.

The center will offer a variety of configurations for events ranging in size from 30 to several hundred people. Outside, the new facility will have an events gazebo which Haman said could serve as a beautiful ceremony site. A landscaped patio area on the west side of the conference center and adjacent to the club house will provide additional gathering space.

For weddings, Haman said couples will be able to entrust many of the preparations to the event center staff, for food and beverages, setup of tables and seating, and other wedding day details.

“This will be a complete full-service venue,” she said.

The venue will also boast a state-of-the art audio/visual system and access to the Internet for businesses or groups wishing to hold meetings, trainings or conferences, according to Bailey.

“This will be a really top-class venue,” he said. “It can provide an opportunity for companies in the area to stay close to home for meetings and trainings.”

In the past month, Haman said she’s been working on getting some of the marketing in place.

“We want to be sure that we can fill this building,” she said.

The conference center’s website, www.briggswoodsconferencecenter.com, went live last week.

“It’s a neat, informative website that we’ll continue to build as we get actual photos of the inside of the conference center,” she said. “It gives people a chance to learn about the center and how it will operate.”

She said in addition to being able to book the site for a wedding or special gathering, businesses can submit a request for proposal for meetings or conventions. Haman said she can turn full itemized proposals around within 24 hours.

The Briggs Woods Conference Center officials will have a chance to talk directly to brides, grooms and wedding planners this weekend as they serve as a sponsor for the Bridal Spectacular at the Career Education Building on the Iowa Central Community College campus in Fort Dodge. The event is today from 1 to 4 p.m.

“That will be a lot of fun and a great chance to talk face to face with people,” she said.