Brooks Brothers Will Move to Unico's Skinner Building; New and Expanded 15,000 sf NW Flagship Will Anchor Upscale Fashion Promenade along ''Upper Fifth''.

News Editors/Business Editors

SEATTLE--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nov. 21, 2003

Unico, a real estate investment and operating company, today confirmed that Brooks Brothers will move its downtown Seattle store to an expanded space in the Skinner Building at the corner of Fifth Ave. and Union St. The American classic clothier will open its new 15,000-square-foot, street-level storefront in September 2004.

The departure of Eddie Bauer has made available "the kind of high-profile, premium downtown space that Brooks Brothers has been waiting for," said Unico's John Miller, General Manager of the Metropolitan Tract.

Brooks Brothers has been a part of the downtown Seattle retail scene since 1977, operating most recently from a modest space of 4,500 square feet in Unico's Rainier Square on Fifth Avenue. Brooks Brothers celebrated its 185th anniversary this year as America's oldest clothing retailer and innovator of the classic American style of dress.

The Brooks Brothers move will add a distinguished "anchor" to Unico's growing collection of upscale retail shops along "Upper Fifth," Unico's name for the promenade on Fifth Avenue between Union and University Streets. Escada, St. John Boutique, Nancy Meyer Fine Lingerie and the 5th Avenue Theatre already do business in the Skinner Building. Across Fifth Avenue in Unico's Rainier Square, Fox's Gem Shop anchors the north end of the block, while Alexandria Rosoff Jewels and Rare Finds opened at the south end of the block this fall. This opening continued the retail momentum achieved earlier in the year when Louis Vuitton, the French purveyor of luxury leather goods and accessories, announced it would double its size to 3,270 square feet and extend its Rainier Square lease by 15 years.

The "Upper Fifth" concept, Miller said, supports Unico's vision for distinguishing the Metropolitan Tract as a five-star location for shops, restaurants, offices, residences and hotels.

Unico is prepared to anchor the southern end of its "Upper Fifth" promenade with a new 5,500-square-foot building designed for two high-end national retailers and is marketing the location nationwide to upscale retailers not yet represented in the Seattle market. Construction of the new retail complex, to be located in front of the IBM Building at Fifth and University, will begin once a signature retail tenant is secured.

"Brooks Brothers has been an outstanding Unico tenant for six years," said Miller, "and we are thrilled to help them relocate to the large, premiere downtown spot that they've been seeking. They are a great fit for the long-term vision we and the University of Washington have created for the Metropolitan Tract."

The Brooks Brothers store will represent nearly 30 percent of the Skinner Building's retail. The upper levels of the eight-story Skinner Building are dedicated to office use.

The Metropolitan Tract is a six-block parcel bound by Union and Seneca streets and Third and Sixth avenues. Unico has developed and managed the Tract since 1953. Major properties on the Tract include Rainier Tower, Rainier Square, Puget Sound Plaza, Financial Center, IBM Building, Skinner Building and Cobb Building.

Unico is a real estate investment and operating company. Headquartered in Seattle, Washington, the company owns and operates over six million square feet of premier properties in the western United States. Unico produces superior returns for its institutional partners by anticipating and addressing the real estate needs of its customers with environments that enhance the success of the people, businesses and communities it serves.

Brooks Brothers was founded in New York City in 1818 by Henry Sands Brooks. The company currently operates stores in the United States, Japan, Hong Kong, Taiwan and Italy, and also sells its merchandise through a direct mail catalog and e-commerce site, brooksbrothers.com. Brooks Brothers was acquired in December 2001 by Retail Brand Alliance, Inc., a privately-owned company which is composed of four divisions: Casual Corner Group, Adrienne Vittadini, Carolee Designs, and Brooks Brothers.