Springfield, Ill.-based Midwest Technical Institute is preparing its sole Missouri campus to start classes early next year.
MTI's local Springfield campus opened Oct. 1 and is preparing for classes to begin Jan. 14. Currently, 15 employees staff the school, according to MTI spokeswoman Sarah May.
Early this year, MTI - a vocational school providing training in mechanical trades and health care - signed a 10-year lease with an option for a 10-year extension at the former Circuit City building at 3600 S. Glenstone Ave. Owner Warren Davis Properties' building had been vacant since the Springfield company acquired it in May 2009, according to
Springfield Business Journal archives.
In January, MTI's Springfield campus plans to offer workforce training in welding, heating and air conditioning; medical assisting; dental assisting; and cosmetology, according to a news release.
The school is open to the public for campus tours 8 a.m.-6 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Friday.
MTI also has campuses in East Peoria, Ill., and Moline, Ill., and operates Delta Technical College in Horn Lake, Miss., and Ridgeland, Miss. The average course length for the school's programs is nine months.
Davis Properties coordinated the renovation of the 40,000-square-foot Glenstone property - where Circuit City closed in November 2008 - with Adam Pyle and Associates serving as general contractor and Esterly, Schneider & Associates Inc. as architect.
In the March SBJ story "
Davis Properties leases Circuit City building," MTI CEO Brian Huff noted the high-traffic area was an important factor in the school choosing the site to open a campus.
"That's probably the best location in Springfield, Missouri," Huff said at the time.[[In-content Ad]]
