MIAMI- A funny thing happened to Downtown Doral on its way to completion. The name of the joint-venture partners for the project changed, but the man playing the leading role in the development, Armando Codina, has remained the same. Doral is a 120-acre mixed-use redevelopment in Doral, FL near Miami International Airport.

In 2006, institutional investors advised by JP Morgan picked the Coral Gables-based Flagler Development Group to redevelop the Koger Executive Center where Downtown Doral is now taking shape. At the time, the president, CEO and chairman of Flagler was Armando Codina. Earlier that year, Codina’s old company, the Codina group, had merged with Florida East Coast Industries and had become Florida East Coast Industries’ Flagler Development Group.

From 2006 until 2008, Codina served all three top posts at Flagler--chairman, president and CEO--but then stepped down, choosing Jose Hevia to be president and CEO, while retaining the position of chairman. A few months ago, Codina created Codina Partners, which is designed to be an investment vehicle for his own family’s investments. In May, Codina Partners bought a stake in Downtown Doral, replacing the Flagler Development Group as joint venture partner in the development.