Cousins Signs Georgia Department of Transportation to 284,000-Square-Foot Lease at One Georgia Center.

Agreement is One of 2007's Largest Office Leases in Atlanta; Brings Building to 100 Percent Leased

ATLANTA -- Cousins Properties Incorporated (NYSE: CUZ) announced today it has signed the Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) to a lease for 284,000 square feet at One Georgia Center, a 27-story, 376,000-square-foot building at the intersection of North Avenue and West Peachtree Street in Atlanta. The agreement - one of the largest office leases in Atlanta this year - brings One Georgia Center to 100 percent leased and will allow GDOT to consolidate its headquarters employees from three locations to one. GDOT, which was represented by the Georgia Building Authority in lease negotiations, will begin relocating to One Georgia Center early next year.

"This was a competitive and challenging deal, and we are proud that GDOT and the Georgia Building Authority ultimately chose our building. We think it speaks volumes about the quality of the office building and its accessibility at North Avenue and the Downtown Connector," said Larry Gellerstedt, president of Cousins' Office/Multi-family Division. "The GDOT lease will give the agency modern efficient office space and also fill a significant vacancy in our Atlanta office portfolio. It's an important move for both organizations."

"It has been my goal throughout the Department's relocation process to provide our general office employees a more functional, easily accessible and modern workplace. One Georgia Center is such a location," Georgia Transportation Commissioner Harold Linnenkohl said.

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 7.6 million square feet of office space, 5.3 million square feet of retail space, 2.0 million square feet of industrial space, 724 for-sale units in two under-development multi-family projects, 24 residential communities under development, over 9,100 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 12.1 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.