The Berkman

The Berkman is a 15-story, mixed-use luxury apartment community located at the intersection of 2nd Street NE and 14th Avenue SW at the Gateway District leading into downtown Rochester, MN. The property features 277 market-rate apartment homes, 73 furnished extended-stay suites, and 24,000 sf of commercial (retail/office) space. Early construction activities began in late summer 2017 and substantial completion was reached in mid-2020.

The building is named after Daisy Louis Berkman Plummer, who was the wife of legendary Mayo Clinic physician Dr. Henry Plummer. Daisy Berkman ran a small laboratory to test patients' blood in the early days of the Mayo Clinic before marrying Dr. Plummer in 1904. A dedicated pianist, she founded what would evolve into the Rochester Symphony & Chorale Orchestra. She was also known for hosting weekly baked bean dinners on Sunday evenings for the doctors at Mayo Clinic.

The property, designed by Minneapolis’ well-known ESG Architects, acts as a catalyst to further the transformation of the 2nd Street Corridor into a greener, vibrant, pedestrian-friendly “Live-Work-Play” district. On the ground level, the property features restaurant and retail spaces surrounded by a vibrant pedestrian friendly streetscape along 2nd Street SW. The second level provides additional office and retail spaces. For residents, The Berkman offers an impressive list of community amenities, including a rooftop pool on the 4th floor, fire pits, grilling stations, an indoor sauna, work-from-home suites, and private entertainment spaces. A state-of-the-art 24/7 fitness center helps the property promote healthy living while a heated, four-season outdoor dog oasis and spa appeals to pet-lovers.

The Berkman achieved LEED v2009 BD+C: New Construction Silver certification in December 2020. The building achieved the highest level of LEED certification (LEED Silver) for any high-rise apartment building in the State of Minnesota in 2020, and at the time of its certification, was one of only twenty LEED certified high-rise residential apartment buildings in the state.

Sustainability highlights of the project include:

-High-efficiency plumbing fixtures that use nearly 30% less water annually than code requires, saving approximately 62,000 gallons of water per year.

-An energy-efficient Variable Refrigerant Flow (VRF) HVAC system and all LED lighting that shows within the energy model an energy cost savings of 31% annually.

-Over 61% of the total site area of the property consists of open, usable space for residents to enjoy.

-Of the total materials cost, 20% contained recycled content and 48% were sourced regionally.