With Washington University and St. Louis University medical schools already in St. Louis, and major health systems including BJC HealthCare, SSM Health and Mercy based in the region, Lenihan said it also will be easier to find the 120 faculty and staff members the new school plans to hire.

“We are excited Ponce Health Sciences University is coming to town and see it as a win for the region and for our School of Medicine. We look forward to continuing to explore the potential for partnership between our schools that exists,” said Dr. Daniel Blash, chief diversity officer at SLU School of Medicine.

The new school will be built by Clayco and leased by Ponce. It will be part of developer Paul McKee’s sweeping NorthSide Regeneration Plan to develop the site of the former Pruitt-Igoe housing project across from the future site of the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency’s western headquarters.

Gateway Elementary School is across the street, Lenihan pointed out, and those students and others in the area will be more exposed to the idea of going to medical school.