Ayers Saint Gross is collaborating with Wexford Science and Technology, Atrium Health, and Wake Forest School of Medicine to create a dynamic mixed-use innovation district in Charlotte, North Carolina. The district is anchored by a 300,000 SF academic building, home to the second location of Wake Forest School of Medicine and the city’s first four-year medical school.

The master plan weaves the new community into the fabric of the city and centers itself around this highly visible and prominent academic anchor building which is connected to a new 250,000 SF research building. A large public plaza serves as the heart of the district where students, faculty, researchers, entrepreneurs, visitors, and the local community can gather.

New multi-modal streets, lined with active ground-floor uses, link the district to adjacent neighborhoods and key destinations. In addition to this first phase, proposed future development includes multiple research towers, residential buildings, a hotel, and retail space. The Innovation District occupies a key location at the edge of Uptown Charlotte with opportunities to improve broader civic, economic, and social connections.