Cousins Partners with Watkins Retail Group

Cousins Properties Incorporated CUZ announced today that it has formed a partnership with Publix developer Watkins Retail Group, recapitalizing project debt on four existing Watkins Retail Group projects. Cousins' investment of $14.9 million as of December 31, 2010, equates to a 50.5% equity position in four Publix-anchored neighborhood shopping centers in Florida and Tennessee. Additionally, Cousins has the first option to jointly develop two other sites in Florida owned by Watkins when development is appropriate.