One Year of Measurable Impact
Progress at The Pearl
Charlotte’s innovation district is where excellence is learned, shared and scaled – a leading hub for healthcare innovation bringing together medicine, science, education and community to accelerate what is possible.
Built to bring people and ideas together
In just its first year, The Pearl has quickly taken shape as a dynamic, working hub — bringing together students, scientists, startups, surgeons and the community in one connected place in Midtown Charlotte.
Building Momentum
The Pearl is already coming to life in Midtown Charlotte — home to a thriving medical school, global surgical training through IRCAD North America, a growing biotech presence at Connect Labs, new residential development underway and an expanding Wake Forest University footprint beyond medicine. The blueprint is becoming a neighborhood.
What's Taking Shape
A snapshot of what's underway and what's ahead across The Pearl that will be updated regularly as key milestones are achieved.
- Underway Construction Continues Ground has been broken on the next phase of development at The Pearl, advancing its continued buildout.
- Opening Soon Café in the Education Building A new food destination at the heart of the district — designed to pull students, tenants and neighbors into the same room at The Pearl’s Howard R. Levine Center for Education building.
- This Fall K-12 STEAM Lab Work is underway on a dedicated lab space for Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics education for local K-12 students in The Pearl’s Howard R. Levine Center for Education building.
The Pearl's evolution since its inception
From its historical roots, to a name unveiled in spring 2022, to opening day, to a district full of partners — trace the milestones that made The Pearl real.
Brooklyn flourishes in Charlotte
A vibrant, predominantly Black neighborhood in Second Ward filled with families, active businesses, schools and a place of worship. At its core is “Pearl Street Park,” the first park built on land that the city of Charlotte purchased for Black residents. In the 1960s and 1970s, Brooklyn was torn down in the name of “urban renewal.”
A new vision emerges
A bold partnership between Atrium Health and Charlotte’s civic leaders sparked a new idea: a mixed-use innovation district designed to connect people, advance health and expand opportunity.
The long view
The Pearl’s plan calls for residences, a hotel, office/innovation space, retail and public space.
From the people building it
The Pearl exists because of the power of community, partnership, and a collective commitment to creating lasting value for academia, industry, and the Charlotte community. And this is only the beginning — the next phase is already underway, further strengthening The Pearl’s role as a catalyst for innovation, discovery and economic growth.
At Wake Forest University School of Medicine, we are intentionally reimagining medical education to meet the evolving needs of patients, communities and the healthcare workforce. Our expansion to Charlotte reflects a deliberate, long-term vision to develop physician leaders through academically rigorous, community-connected training environments, anchored in the nation’s emerging health innovation district, The Pearl. By training physicians in the communities they serve — both urban and rural — we increase the likelihood they will remain in the state, helping improve access to high-quality care statewide.
What excites me the most is the immediate application of remote surgery intervention for experiential education and rapid cycle R&D and the applications that might come in the clinical arena. This IRCAD North America is a very exciting space. Healthcare systems like Advocate could use this to disrupt clinical care.