CUZ Cousins Properties Inc

Deloitte and Cousins Properties Incorporated (NYSE: CUZ) announced today that Deloitte has signed an agreement to lease 260,000 square feet at One Ninety One Peachtree Tower in Downtown Atlanta. The agreement signals Deloitte�s strong commitment to Downtown Atlanta, and renews approximately 100,000 square feet that Deloitte currently occupies, while expanding the firm�s long-term presence by 160,000 square feet in the building. Not included in the long-term lease is an additional 24,000 square feet Deloitte is leasing on a temporary basis. With this agreement, One Ninety One Peachtree Tower is 87 percent leased. �Deloitte is proud of its long-term commitment to downtown Atlanta,� said J. Bradford Branch, leader of Deloitte�s Atlanta office. �The entire metro area is experiencing tremendous growth, but we believe a strong investment in the heart of the city is a key to help ensure that all of Atlanta remains vibrant. One Ninety One Peachtree Tower puts us in an ideal location to serve our clients and our community. We strongly encourage other business leaders to leverage the strategic advantage Downtown Atlanta offers.� Deloitte employs 2,000 professionals in Atlanta. These professionals are currently occupying space at One Ninety One Peachtree Tower and Peachtree Center. The firm has not yet announced a schedule for consolidating its footprint. �We have been fortunate over the past year to work with so many companies that understand both the value and quality of this building and the tremendous momentum behind Downtown Atlanta,� said Tom Bell, Chairman and CEO of Cousins. �Reaching an agreement with Deloitte to consolidate in One Ninety One is a milestone for this building. We are delighted that we can continue our long association with this great firm.� Since acquiring the building in September 2006, Cousins has now signed more than 650,000 square feet in new leases to tenants including Il Mulino, Synergy Workplaces, HOK Group, Atlanta Equity Investors, Harold A. Dawson Company, Morgan & Morgan, Grey Global, Cooper Carry, Ogletree, Deakins, Nash, Smoak & Stewart P.C., Merchant & Gould, Fields, Howell, Athans & McLaughlin and Cousins Properties. The Deloitte agreement brings the building to 87 percent leased. When Cousins purchased the building in September 2006, it was 51 percent leased and less than 20 percent occupied. As used in this document, �Deloitte� means Deloitte & Touche USA LLP. Please see www.deloitte.com/about for a detailed description of the legal structure of Deloitte & Touche USA LLP and its subsidiaries. Cousins Properties Incorporated, headquartered in Atlanta, has extensive experience in the real estate industry including the development, acquisition, financing, management and leasing of properties. The property types that Cousins actively invests in include office, multi-family, retail, industrial and land development projects. The Company�s portfolio consists of interests in 7.7 million square feet of office space, 4.8 million square feet of retail space, 2.0 million square feet of industrial space, 736 for-sale units in two under-development multi-family projects, 24 residential communities under development, approximately 9,000 acres of strategically located land tracts, and significant land holdings for development of single-family residential communities. The Company also provides leasing and management services to third-party investors; its client-services portfolio comprises 14.3 million square feet of office and retail space. The Company is a fully integrated equity real estate investment trust (REIT) that has been public since 1962 and trades on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol �CUZ.� For more information on the Company, please visit its Web site at www.cousinsproperties.com. Certain matters discussed in this news release are forward-looking statements within the meaning of the federal securities laws and are subject to uncertainties and risks, including, but not limited to, general and local economic conditions, local real estate conditions, the activity of others developing competitive projects, the risks associated with development projects (such as delay, cost overruns and leasing/sales risk of new properties), the cyclical nature of the real estate industry, the financial condition of existing tenants, interest rates, the Company�s ability to obtain favorable financing or zoning, environmental matters, the effects of terrorism, the ability of the Company to close properties under contract and other risks detailed from time to time in the Company�s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including the Company�s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2006. The words �believes�, �expects�, �anticipates�, �estimates� and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Although the Company believes that its plans, intentions and expectations reflected in any forward-looking statement are reasonable, the Company can give no assurance that these plans, intentions or expectations will be achieved. Such forward-looking statements are based on current expectations and speak as of the date of such statements. The Company undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of future events, new information or otherwise.