Doran Cos. will manage Robert Muir's Twin Cities retail portfolio

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Kelly Doran was the first Twin Cities developer to bet big on the student housing construction market.

Sam Black

Senior reporter- Minneapolis / St. Paul Business Journal

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Kelly Doran's real estate firm is doing business with his former employer.

Doran Cos. announced that it has been selected to oversee management and leasing of five regional shopping centers owned by Florida-based Robert Muir Co.

Doran was president of Robert Muir Co. from 1992 to 2005 while he participated in developing Muir's local retail portfolio.

The Muir family-owned centers are: Woodbury Village, Woodbury Village Green, Shoppes of Woodbury Village, Tamarack Village/Woodbury and the Rivertown Village in St. Cloud. They total about 1.5 million square feet combined.

Robert Muir Co. will wind down its 16-employee operation in the Twin Cities. Doran Cos. will absorb some of those jobs, particularly property maintenance staff. Decisions on others will be made in the coming weeks, according to Doran company spokesman John Wodele.

The same year Doran left Robert Muir Co. he formed Doran Cos., his own construction and real estate development company that now has over 3 million square feet under management. His company has been one of the most active apartment and student housing developers in the Twin Cities during the past five years.

Sam Black covers real estate, manufacturing and economic development.