Walk through the doors of the offices of Dolan & Murphy, modestly tucked away at the end of a quiet residential street on the near East Side of Aurora, and the first thing you notice are the dozens of tall trophies on the floor next to plaque-adorned walls mostly touting the many youth sports programs this commercial real estate company has sponsored over generations.
Although the iconic Aurora business – celebrating its 60th anniversary this week – has been responsible for many of the city’s largest developments in those six decades, the heart of Dolan & Murphy has always centered around family and community.
That becomes more obvious when entering the self-described “cluttered” office of 69-year-old Brian Dolan, which is heavily laden not just with business paraphernalia but family mementos that include countless photos of grandchildren, some taken more than 20 years ago.
The hallways are also bursting with nostalgia, including dozens of large photo displays of the company’s annual Christmas parties, all shot with an old Kodak camera and featuring friends, family and community members dating back to 1986.
Scattered throughout this eclectic cluster are homages to the company’s late patriarch – Daniel D. Dolan Sr., who in 1965 formed the company with the late James O. Murphy because both men saw the need for a brokerage dedicated to commercial, industrial and investment property in the Fox Valley.
In the small foyer of the offices at the end of Orchard Street, a large frame holds a public message of thanks to the community, published after Dan Dolan Sr. died on 2/20/2020 at age 89. Also honoring the father and founder is an image of him taken the night before he passed away that can only be described as joyous, his signature smile still radiant.
And in the conference room, a near life-size headshot of the charismatic broker seems to watch over his descendants under his favorite motto – and now the name of the LLC – “Keep the Faith.”
But it’s more than that beloved Irish face that is honored here.
When I met with the current brokerage team – three sons and two grandsons of Dolan Sr. – all five were adamant that the patriarch’s philosophy – “what’s good for Dolan & Murphy is good for Aurora” – would always be the guiding light of this firm that has anchored so much of the city’s modern economic development.
The story goes back to Dolan & Murphy’s flagship project, the development of 465 acres along the Interstate 88-Farnsworth Avenue interchange that, what began as farmland, became the mixed-use commercial and industrial development known as Farnsworth International. That attracted manufacturers, warehouse/distribution and office/service firms, all of which became a pillar of the city’s commercial and industrial tax base, creating a huge amount of jobs in that part of town.
Former Aurora Alderman Sherman Jenkins, who is also past executive director of the Aurora Economic Development Commission, noted how much that organization benefited from Dolan & Murphy’s “valuable advice, insights and unwavering passion to help Aurora develop into the dynamic city it is today.”
Major projects, he said, included the extension of Bilter Road from Farnsworth to Mitchell Road, “which fostered international and national corporations to make Aurora home;” the development of Chicago Premium Outlets mall; and numerous corporate headquarters and industrial sites throughout Aurora’s business parks.
This aerial photo, taken in 1991, captures more than 260 acres of land near the Farnsworth/Interstate 88 interchange in Aurora, including the future site of Chicago Premium Outlets mall. (Airpix)
The Dolan & Murphy platform – putting together partnerships that brought in private investors for land purchases – is a formula that has been used in just about every corner of Aurora. That includes the West Galena commercial development, 188 acres at the southwest corner of routes 34 and 30 (known as Kendall Pointe), the southwest corner of Eola Road and New York Street, as well as properties in downtown Aurora.
Dolan & Murphy represented major developers in the acquisition and assemblage of some of the largest business parks in the Aurora area. Those included 1,600 acres at I-88 and Eola, known as the Butterfield Development, and represented Crown Community Development in the resale of 13 commercial sites in Oakhurst Development, stretching from I-88 to Route 34, bisected by Eola on the far East Side of Aurora.
Bob Vaughan, former executive director of the Fox Valley Park District and chair of the Dunham Foundation, recalled Dolan Sr. as a “trusted advisor” to Aurora Mayor Al McCoy in the 1970s, assisting with the development of the City of Aurora Comprehensive Plan and Zoning Ordinance.
“This was at the time of the city’s annexation into DuPage County,” he noted, “resulting in one of the best mixed-use planned developments in Illinois.”
Over the years the firm and its management arm have overseen roughly 1 million square feet of retail/office and 500,000 square feet of industrial space, often working with notable Chicago developers and entrepreneurs, including Larry Levy, whose written tribute at Dan Sr.’s funeral centered on a partnership and friendship “where a handshake was our bond … was as good or better than a written contract.”
Dolan & Murphy’s footprint is also seen in other Fox Valley communities, including Montgomery and Oswego, as well as Sugar Grove, noted Brian, where “going back more than 50 years,” the firm recently sold the last parcel of four quadrants at routes 56 and 30 for a 143-acre residential development.
While “most of us have never known an Aurora without Dolan & Murphy … their consistent presence in and around Aurora goes far beyond those ubiquitous shamrock signs,” said Rick Guzman, who was assistant chief of staff under the late Mayor Tom Weisner and now executive director of The Neighbor Project.
“Dan Dolan Sr. was an icon and an Aurora institution himself,” he went on. “But from my days in the Weisner administration to the present, his sons are model community contributors helping to rally hundreds of people to important causes …”
Those good works include chairing boards and leading efforts for groups like CASA Kane County, the Marie Wilkinson and Aurora Area Interfaith food pantries, Waubonsee Community College Foundation, Aurora Central Catholic High School and many more.
Guzman is well aware of how this strong legacy has continued. Brian’s son Danny serves on the board of The Neighbor Project, a nonprofit to help families get into permanent housing. In addition, Dan T.’s son, JD, sits on the board of Boys & Girls Club of Aurora, and Ryan Dolan, the founder’s younger son, is heavily involved in youth sports and mentoring.
Much of this reflects back to a passion for kids and young adults. Dolan & Murphy was a founding sponsor of Aurora Boys Baseball more than 55 years ago, and in 2016, Dan Sr. was inducted into the International Softball Congress Hall of Fame for his commitment to fastpitch softball.
According to Vaughan, it was his longtime friend who stepped in to save the Aurora Men’s Fastpitch Softball tradition that started in the 1950s after Home Savings and Loan discontinued sponsorship following the sale of the bank.
“Beyond serving and rallying the community to some of our most important causes,” Guzman told me, “Dolan & Murphy and the entire family are some of our most reliable contributors to projects and nonprofits” that receive support directly from the firm or through their fund at the Community Foundation of the Fox River Valley.
“So they don’t just ask people to give what they can, they give themselves,” he said. “And they don’t just give, they show up.”
Dan Dolan’s name, as well as his footprint, is everywhere in the city, including on the Aurora St. Patrick’s Day Parade.
“And as far as we know, Dad is the only Auroran who has two streets named after him,” noted Brian, referring to a sign on Watson Street outside the home where his father was raised, and a segment of Route 31 between Illinois Avenue and Indian Trail which the state designated as Daniel D. Dolan Way.
Dan D. Dolan Sr. was awarded the honor of being named Irishman of the Year at Irish Fest in Aurora in 2015, one of many honors earned by Dolan, who died in 2020. (David Sharos/For The Beacon-News)
He and his brother, who attribute much of their success to former staffers Dana (Dolan) Peterson and Nancy Hurtt, as well as current operations and management employees Cheryl Kessler and Kayla Steiner-Graw, are starting to scale back some of their activities. That means they are looking to younger team members to carry on the Dolan tradition, including 36-year-old JD, who took over as managing broker after his Uncle Brian put 35 years into that role.
Giving back to the community is an important lesson learned from their father and grandfather, the men agree, also noting that philosophy comes down to a genuine love of Aurora, including the diversity of its people that make it such a great place to live, work and play.
“Aurora has a huge heart,” said Brian, who compares it to a family with a strong foundation.
And that means working with myriad city mayors and administrations, with some supporting their efforts and some not so supportive, noted his brother, three years his senior.
“However,” Dan T. continued, the firm has “always been able to bring good solid developments to Aurora.”
“We’ve seen so much in 60 years,” Brian added, also pointing out it is unlikely younger firm members will experience that kind of expansion simply because so much acreage is already developed.
“We’ve evolved with it,” said Dan T. of the city he and his family helped shape.
“And being part of its growing,” added Ryan, “has really been fun.”
dcrosby@tribpub.com
