Twin Cities real estate developer Kelly Doran dead at 66

Commercial real estate developer Kelly Doran, who built more than 3,500 Twin Cities apartment units, died early Thursday morning after a battle with cancer.

Doran, 66, gained a reputation as a prolific developer who constructed millions of square feet of retail space along with housing in the metro area. Within the past decade, he was one of the busiest multifamily developers in the Twin Cities area.

“Kelly was always someone who didn’t shy away from a fight,” his son Evan Doran said. “He was competitive, and he would negotiate with the best of them.”

Evan Doran, who started working at his father’s business in 2018, now takes on leading the Eden Prairie-based Doran Group.

Fairness and standing by his word were important values to his father, Evan Doran said, which helped the elder Doran establish respect in the industry. Evan Doran recalled how his dad often advised his children to “do what you say you’re going to do.”

Leaders of cities where Doran developed projects were often grateful for his community contributions.

“Kelly was a doer, pure and simple. He attacked his work with vigor, and his work has provided people with homes and built out our skyline,” Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey said in a statement. “What I’ll remember is that beyond his well-known thick outer shell was a person who cared deeply.”

Born in Duluth to single mother Donna, Kelly Doran went on to graduate from Southwest High School in Minneapolis. He earned an MBA from the University of Minnesota in 1982 and initially worked at Bank of America out of…