$10 million revitalization project complete at Detroit Breithaupt Career Tech Center

An enormous renovation project at Detroit's Breithaupt Career Tech Center is complete and will now give more students training for skilled trades.

The project was completed with a celebration at the west side training center. Now, students between grades 10 and 12 will start working with state-of-the-art equipment in cosmetology, welding, and the automotive field. All training needed for skilled trade careers.

"Before we had the renovations, it was very dark. The floors would break, you knew when somebody was coming down the hallway. Our equipment was very out of date and our textbooks needed more assistance. Now, when I look at the renovations we have had here, Breithaupt is able to say that we are back into the light," said cosmetology student Faith Fizer.

The project was a joint effort between the city of Detroit, Detroit Public Schools and several corporate sponsors, including Quicken Loans, DTE, Ford and GM.

Dr. Nikolai Vitti, Detroit Public Schools Community District superintendent, said the revitalization is a true investment into the city and surrounding area.

"What we're talking about...is investment in our children. We're talking about investment in our community. We're talking about investment in hope," said Dr. Vitti.

Fizer says she has big plans for the future and this Breithaupt will help her achieve those goals.

"I will be becoming a cosmetologist director and I will be coming back here to Breithaupt to help teach the new children," she said.

Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan agrees with Fizer's vision.

"We are now creating a pathway for our own students to be able to start to think about what they're going to do with the rest of their lives," Duggan said.

The $10 million dollar investment is the second such investment at tech centers in Detroit in recent years. In 2017, $10 million was also invested into Randolph Career Tech Center. Dr. Vitti said they're just getting started.

"This is only the beginning. One day we will be talking about this type of building and this type of investment in our buildings in over 100 schools in DPSCD," Vitti said.