Charlotte’s first four-year medical school, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, opened its doors on Monday. The campus is part of the $1.5 billion innovation district dubbed “The Pearl.”

Why it matters: In addition to its potential impact as a medical research center, officials say The Pearl will become a significant economic driver in the city.

The Pearl sits on land once occupied by the Brooklyn neighborhood, a sprawling Black community that city leaders razed in the 1960s and ’70s under the guise of “urban renewal.”

Monday’s grand opening marked the completion of the first of three phases.

The medicine school will welcome its first class — 48 students — starting next month. Annual enrollment is expected to increase to 100 students over the next five years.

Of note: the unive

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