Cousins and Faison Open the Avenue(R) Murfreesboro.

ATLANTA -- Cousins Properties Incorporated (NYSE: CUZ) and Faison Enterprises announced today the opening of The Avenue Murfreesboro, an 810,000-square-foot open-air retail center in suburban Nashville, Tenn. Conceived as the centerpiece of a 400-acre master-planned commercial development along Medical Center Parkway, The Avenue Murfreesboro's 660,000-square-foot Phase I is 78 percent committed at opening. The center will eventually become home to more than 110 retailers and restaurants.

Retailer commitments at the center include: Belk, Barnes & Noble, Best Buy, Dick's Sporting Goods, After Hours Formalwear, Alumni Hall, American Eagle/Aerie, Ann Taylor Loft, Bath & Body Works, Carter's, Champs, Chico's, Coldwater Creek, College Station, Cost Plus World Market, Crabtree & Evelyn, David's Bridal, Delia's, Edible Arrangements, Francesca's Collection, Fulin, GNC Live Well, Great American Cookie / Pretzel, Gymboree, Harry & David, Hat World, Haverty's, Hollister, Icing by Claire's, Jos. A. Bank, Kay Jewelers , Lane Bryant/Cacique, Limited Too, Linens N Things, Liz Claiborne Shoes/Accessories, Maggie Moo's, Merle Norman, Michael's, Motherhood Maternity, Nails So Happy, NY & Co., Off Broadway, Oreck Floor Care, Origins, Oshkosh, Peaches Uniform, Petco, Portrait Innovations, Quiksilver Boardriders, Rafferty's, Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory, Select Comfort, Sleepwell Mattress Outlet, Sports Clips, Stride Rite, Sunglass Hut, Sunsights by Solstice, Talbot's, The Baby Crib, The Children's Place, The Name Place, Ulta, Victoria's Secret, White House / Black Market, Yakety Yak, Yankee Candle and Zumfoot.

"Over the past 10 years, The Avenue concept has grown around the way people shop and live. This project is our best execution yet, mixing power center anchors like Best Buy and Dick's Sporting Goods with lifestyle retailers like Chico's, Victoria's Secret, American Eagle and Hollister. Our retailer mix, combined with great restaurants and one-of-a-kind amenities like our Camp Avenue children's park, makes The Avenue Murfreesboro a destination," said Joel Murphy, president of Cousins' Retail Division. "The Cousins and Faison teams have put together an outstanding development."

"From the beginning, we were confident that retailers would be interested in this part of central Tennessee and this project's success has proven that. We are very proud of the retailer mix and top notch shopping environment that has been created at The Avenue Murfreesboro," said Mike Cohn, senior managing director with Faison. "We look forward to seeing this project evolve into a true town center with regional impact."

The Avenue Murfreesboro is the centerpiece of 400 acres of new commercial development envisioned by landowner C.M. "Bill" Gatton along Medical Center Parkway. Projects in the area are slated to include retail, office, hotel, convention center and public spaces. Medical Center Parkway connects the new Manson Pike interchange on I-24 with the City of Murfreesboro's Gateway project, plans for which include the new 300-bed Middle Tennessee Medical Center along with medical and professional offices.

The Avenue concept, introduced by Cousins Properties in 1998, has been extremely well received by consumers and retailers alike. In contrast to a mall, these open-air, pedestrian friendly centers appeal to the discriminating and often time-constrained shopper looking for premier national retailers, select local merchants and specialty restaurants in a convenient setting. Cousins Properties has opened four Avenues in the Atlanta area, one in suburban Memphis, one in suburban Nashville, one in suburban Los Angeles and one in Viera, Fla. For more information about The Avenue, please visit www.theavenuealist.com.

Faison Enterprises, Inc. is a privately-held development company with a diversified product portfolio that includes retail, commercial and residential project development, management and acquisitions services. With more than 40 years in the business and holdings of approximately $1 billion, including $600 million of new projects under development, the Charlotte NC based company manages and develops properties throughout the Mid-Atlantic and South and maintains regional offices in Bethesda MD, Washington DC, Charlotte NC, Atlanta GA, and Orlando, FL. For more information, visit www.faison.com.

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, 4.8 million square feet of retail space, 2.0 million square feet of industrial space, 724 for-sale units in three 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.