Kelly Dolan, a commercial real estate developer who built more than 3,500 Twin Cities apartments, died early Thursday morning after a battle with cancer.
Dolan, 66, made a name for himself as a prolific developer who built millions of square feet of retail space and housing in the metropolitan area. Over the past decade, he has become one of the busiest multifamily developers in the Twin Cities area.
“Kelly was always willing to get into a fight,” said her son Evan Dolan. “He’s competitive and will negotiate with the best of them.”
Evan Dolan started working for his father’s company in 2018 and is now the leader of the Eden Prairie-based Dolan Group.
Evan Dolan said fairness and keeping his word were important values to his father, which helped the older Dolan establish respect in the industry. Evan Dolan recalled how his father often advised his children, “Do what you say you’re going to do.”
Leaders in the cities where Dolan developed projects often thanked him for his contributions to the community.
“Kelly was a man of action, pure and simple. He went about his job with vigor and his work provided homes for people and built our city’s skyline,” Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey said in a statement. said. “What I remember is that beyond the thick shell he was known for, there was a deeply caring person.”
Kelly Dolan was born in Duluth to a single mother, Donna, and graduated from Southwest High School in Minneapolis. He earned his MBA from the University of Minnesota in 1982 and worked at Bank of America after college. He eventually had three children of his own: Evan, Kramer, and Sydney. Dolan and his wife Connie married in his 2013 year, merging their families.
He joined retail development company Robert Muir Co. in 1991. Dolan’s instincts led him to pursue projects in areas with significant population growth. Muir and Dolan developed his 800,000 square foot project, Tamarack Village Shopping Center, in Woodbury.
“Kelly was an icon in our industry, and it is heartbreaking to lose him at such a young age,” Matt Van Sleuten, CEO of Minneapolis-based United Properties, said in a statement. “His success as a real estate entrepreneur was truly remarkable, but his death leaves a dark shadow on our industry.”
Mr. Dolan left the real estate industry in 2005 to start campaigning for the U.S. Senate, but later changed his mind and ran for governor as a centrist Democrat on his own. A political novice, he withdrew from the campaign in March 2006.
In 2007, he established Doran Co., Ltd., which handles development, construction, and property management.
Star Tribune columnist Neil St. Anthony wrote in 2017, “Dolan started his own company with a calculator, some tools, and a truck. Dolan was a hands-on boss who often wore jeans. “And I’m still grabbing a broom and cleaning up the scene.” At that point, Dolan had developed $1 billion worth of projects since the Great Recession.
Mr. Dolan ignited a boom in student housing development around the University of Minnesota campus, which began in 2009 when he broke ground on Sidney Hall, named after his youngest son. His company has built several other projects, including 412 Lofts, Knoll, and Bridges.
“He changed Dinkytown,” said John Waddell, Dolan’s campaign manager who later worked for the development company.
Dolan then moved into developing market-rate apartments, starting with the upscale Mill & Main on the river in Minneapolis.
Throughout the past decade, he has built a track record of apartment projects throughout the metropolitan area. Dolan’s multifamily projects include Moline in Hopkins, 610 West in Brooklyn Park, The Reserve at Arbor Lakes in Maple Grove, and Triple Crown Residences at Canterbury in Shakopee.
“Kelly has accomplished a lot in a relatively short period of time,” Mike Ryan, president of the northern division of Minneapolis-based Ryan Companies, said in a statement. “…He will be missed by the Minnesota real estate community.”
Mr. Dolan sold a majority stake in the Dolan Company in 2019. Together with his son, he launched a new business, Dolan Group, in 2021 with over 160 employees. In late 2022, Dolan Group acquired the Eden Prairie building to relocate its headquarters from Bloomington.
“Kelly was fearless, passionate, visionary and an outstanding leader in our industry,” Cecil Smith, president and CEO of the Minnesota Multifamily Housing Association, said in a statement. Stated. “…He left an incredible legacy.”
Dolan first discovered she had lung cancer in 2016. Her doctors then removed the upper lobe of her right lung, temporarily eliminating the cancer.
When Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota (BCBS) denied Dolan a second cancer test, some employees faced the same problem of being denied coverage for routine procedures. I discovered that. Dolan switched his employees’ insurance to his HealthPartners because BCBS couldn’t resolve the issue, even though it cost the company more money.
Evan Dolan said his father always “always kept an eye on his employees to make sure they were well taken care of.”
“If he was your friend, he would be very protective,” Waddell said. “That carried over into his work.”
Dolan was diagnosed with terminal cancer in January 2023. She stopped chemotherapy treatment, she said goodbye to her company, and she entered hospice care in mid-December.
In his farewell message to employees, Mr. Dolan said, “I have had the pleasure of witnessing a new generation take over the leadership of the organization with integrity, ingenuity, and creativity. He’s going to outlive me. That was always the plan.” ”