SPRINGFIELD, Ohio - (Springfield News-Sun) --  Nine months after the first concrete footer was laid at the new Springfield Regional Medical Center, the entire concrete structure will be complete -- one month ahead of schedule.

"A combination of hard work, good weather and working off of the crushed rocks that came out of the basement," helped Danis Building Co. beat its target date, said project director Kevin O'Brien, About 23,648 cubic yards of concrete have been used to date, he said.

At 1 p.m. today, Nov. 19, Mark Wiener, president and CEO of Community Mercy Health Partners, will lay the first brick to celebrate the start of masonry work, which will begin in December.

The public is invited to witness the laying of the first of more than 220,000 bricks expected to be in place by summer.

The interior wall framing, piping, plumbing, electrical conduit and duct work are under way on the garden level and first floor of the hospital, O'Brien said. Boilers have been delivered, and chillers and interior air handlers are expected on site by year's end.

Local contractor National Stair will install stairways as stair shafts become available, eliminating the need for workers to climb ladders to access upper floors.

More than $600,000 in contracts and material purchases for the acoustical ceiling package were awarded to local contractors, with Robinson Insulation supplying the materials and Vector Interiors performing the installation.

"To date, the project has awarded more than $17.5 million in work to local, minority- and/or women-owned enterprises," he said.

Beginning Friday and continuing through mid-December, residents will have an opportunity to sign the final beams that will be placed at the top of the building.

At 3 p.m. Friday, a beam will go on display and be available for signing in the cafeteria of the High Street campus of Springfield Regional Medical Center.