The Pearl: Charlotte’s Transformative Medical Innovation District

By Michelle Crouch
Co-published with The Charlotte Ledger

For years, Charlotte stood out as the largest city in the United States without a four-year medical school. However, that is set to change by the summer of 2025, when the Charlotte campus of the Wake Forest University School of Medicine opens its doors. This new campus will welcome its first class of 48 students in August, with plans to increase enrollment to 100 students per class over the next five years. Ultimately, the Wake Forest University School of Medicine aims to graduate approximately 245 doctors annually across its campuses in Winston-Salem and Charlotte, addressing North Carolina’s pressing shortage of healthcare providers.

The Vision Behind The Pearl

The Charlotte medical school is just one component of a larger vision for the 20-acre site known as The Pearl, located in the Midtown/Dilworth area just outside of uptown Charlotte. The Pearl is designed to be a vibrant medical innovation district—often referred to as “a Silicon Valley for healthcare.” The goal is to attract not only students but also researchers, tech startups, and biomedical companies.

This ambitious $1.5 billion development is spearheaded by Atrium Health and Wexford Science & Technology. The first phase includes two significant buildings: a 10-story research facility (the Research 1 Building) and a 14-story education center (The Howard R. Levine Center for Education). These structures will not only house the new medical school but also Wake Forest’s School of Business programs, its new School for Professional Studies, and the Carolinas College of Health Science, which trains nurses and other healthcare professionals.

A unique architectural feature of The Pearl is the raised bridge connecting the two buildings on the second floor, symbolizing the integration of education and research.

The Future of The Pearl

Future phases of The Pearl will expand the district to include additional research facilities, a hotel, multifamily housing, and street-level retail, creating a bustling hub for innovation and collaboration.

Six Key Facts About The Pearl

1. Positioning North Carolina as a Life Sciences Hub
   Charlotte Assistant City Manager Tracy Dodson emphasizes that The Pearl is more than just a medical school; it represents a transformative opportunity for the region. Alongside similar innovation districts in Winston-Salem and the Research Triangle Park in Raleigh, The Pearl aims to establish North Carolina as a leading life sciences hub.

2. Rapid Development and Demand
   The demand for space in The Pearl has been so strong that developers have added two floors to both the research and education buildings. The research building is already 70% to 85% leased, with IRCAD, a French surgical-training institute, as the anchor tenant. This institute is expected to attract thousands of surgeons to Charlotte annually.

3. Innovative Training Facilities
   The IRCAD facility will feature a “surgical ballroom,” a large open space with multiple training stations equipped like operating rooms. This design allows surgeons to practice advanced techniques simultaneously, enhancing hands-on training.

4. Support for Health Care Startups
   A dedicated 35,000-square-foot space in the research building, known as Connect Labs, will provide prebuilt lab and office space for small biotech companies. This initiative aims to foster collaboration between startups and established researchers, accelerating innovation in the healthcare sector.

5. Honoring History
   The Pearl is being developed on the site of the former Brooklyn neighborhood, which was home to Charlotte’s largest Black community before urban renewal efforts in the 1960s. A walking trail will connect The Pearl to Pearl Street Park, featuring art installations and historical markers that celebrate the neighborhood’s legacy.

6. STEM Education Initiatives
   The Pearl will also include a STEM lab designed to inspire younger students to pursue careers in science, technology, education, and medicine. This initiative, in partnership with Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools, will provide free learning opportunities for middle school students, with plans to expand to high school students.

The New Medical School: A New Era in Medical Education

Six Key Facts About the New Medical School

1. Record Applications
   Applications to the Wake Forest University School of Medicine have already surpassed last year’s record of 12,100, placing the school among the top five to ten in terms of interest. The buzz surrounding the new campus is palpable, contributing to this surge in applications.

2. Innovative Anatomy Training
   Unlike traditional medical schools, students at the Charlotte campus will not work with cadavers. Instead, they will utilize advanced virtual tools to explore human anatomy, allowing for a more interactive and integrated learning experience.

3. Problem-Based Learning Approach
   The curriculum at the Charlotte campus will adopt a problem-based learning approach, where students begin each week with a specific patient case. This method encourages students to learn about the body’s systems in the context of real-world medical scenarios.

4. Experienced Faculty
   The Charlotte campus will feature a core group of dedicated medical educators, supplemented by 30 to 40 practicing physicians from the Charlotte area who will serve as instructors. This connection to the local medical community will enrich the students’ learning experiences.

5. Community Engagement
   New students will participate in a community engagement fair early in their first semester, with opportunities to volunteer and connect with local organizations. This initiative aims to strengthen ties between students and the Charlotte community, increasing the likelihood that they will remain in the area for residency and practice.

6. State-of-the-Art Simulation Facilities
   The education building will include over 30 classrooms and lab spaces, featuring high-tech simulation rooms that replicate real-world medical environments. These facilities will prepare students for various medical scenarios, from operating rooms to in-home care.

Conclusion

The opening of the Wake Forest University School of Medicine in Charlotte and the development of The Pearl represent a significant leap forward for healthcare education and innovation in North Carolina. As the region positions itself as a hub for life sciences, the collaboration between educational institutions, healthcare providers, and the community will undoubtedly foster a new generation of healthcare professionals dedicated to improving health outcomes for all.

This article is part of a partnership between The Charlotte Ledger and North Carolina Health News to produce original healthcare reporting focused on the Charlotte area. For more information, visit North Carolina Health News.