Clairmont Heights Civic Association

From Cousins Properties: Cousins signs three restaurants and two women’s shops for Emory Point as fall openings near.  ATLANTA (Oct. 5, 2012) – Five more shops and eateries have signed on to the new Emory Point project in northeast Atlanta being developed by Cousins Properties Incorporated (NYSE: CUZ) with Gables Residential. Burgerfi, Bonefish Grill, Paradise Biryani Pointe, LOFT and Francesca’s Collections are the latest additions to the portfolio of national and local brands at Emory Point, the $100+ million mixed-use development.

Burgerfi – the Florida-based casual restaurant known for its gourmet burgers – is new to the Atlanta market after growing to 22 locations throughout the Southeast, Northeast and West Coast. The concept resembles hamburger stands from the 1950s and 1960s, but with a twist – it only serves all-natural, grass-fed beef with no chemicals or additives. The restaurant menu includes gourmet toppings, desserts, craft beer and wine. Burgerfi incorporates best practices for operating a sustainable business with environmentally-friendly furniture and a strict recycling program for oil, cardboard, bottles and cans.

Bonefish Grill – Founded in 2000 in St. Petersburg, Fla., currently has eight locations in Georgia. The restaurant specializes in market-fresh fish and other wood-grilled specialties and prides itself on creating an experience that draws on simplicity, quality and consistency in food, service, ambiance and value.

Paradise Biryani Pointe offers many variations of biryani – a popular, rice-based dish – and features Indian, Persian and Middle Eastern inspired dishes in a unique café atmosphere. This will be the chain’s second location in Georgia.

Two new women’s shops have also chosen Emory Point.

• LOFT is one of two brands by women’s clothier Ann Taylor Inc. The fashions connect with customers on every level with versatile, accessible and affordable fashion that are feminine and have small details that create a flattering fit.
• Francesca’s Collections is an eclectic women’s boutique that offers an affordable collection of apparel, gifts, and accessories all handpicked from around the world. Opened in 1999, Francesca’s Collection is one of the fastest growing women’s fashion retailers in the country with locations in more than 41 states.

Emory Point is now 82 percent committed. Its retailers, restaurants and professional services are expected to have staggered openings starting in November.

“As the fall openings near, we’re excited to add to the list of local and national brands at Emory Point,” said Mike Cohn, Cousins’ executive vice president. “We’re committed to bringing a diverse collection of brands to the project and believe the shops and restaurants will have a positive impact on the surrounding neighborhoods and communities.”

Other retailers, restaurants and professional services previously announced at Emory Point by Cousins include: fab’rik, Lizard Thicket, American Threads, The General Muir, La Tagliatella, Jazmin Spa, JoS. A. Bank Clothiers, Marlow’s Tavern, Tin Lizzy’s and CVS, among others.

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About Emory Point

Emory Point is a mixed-use development with 80,000 square feet of retail space and 443 luxury apartments in Phase I. The project is a partnership between Cousins, Gables Residential and Emory University. The more than $100 million development is in the heart of the Clifton Corridor, near the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Emory University and Emory Healthcare. It is the first new retail construction in the area in more than 20 years and the largest private development to start inside the Perimeter in more than three years. Cousins and Gables – two experienced Atlanta-based development companies – are collaborating for the first time on Emory Point. The second and third phases of the project will be developed according to market demand.

About Cousins Properties Incorporated

Cousins Properties is a leading diversified real estate company with extensive experience in development, acquisition, financing, management and leasing. Based in Atlanta, the company actively invests in office and retail development projects. Since its founding in 1958, Cousins has developed 20 million square feet of office space, 20 million square feet of retail space, more than 3,500 multi-family units and more than 60 single-family neighborhoods. The company is a fully integrated equity real estate investment trust and trades on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol CUZ. For more information, please visit cousinsproperties.com.

About Gables Residential

With a mission of Taking Care of the Way People Live, Gables Residential has received national recognition for excellence in the management, development, acquisition and construction of luxury multi-family communities in high job growth markets. Gables Residential owns, develops and manages multi-family communities and mixed-use developments in Atlanta, Austin, Dallas, Houston, South Florida, Southern California, and metropolitan Washington, D.C. Additionally, it has third-party management operations in the Chicago, New York, Boston, Phoenix, Central and North Florida, and Washington state markets. Gables Residential enjoys a healthy portfolio with approximately 37,000 apartment homes under management, including a corporate-owned portfolio of 55 stabilized communities comprising approximately 14,400 apartment homes. An additional 7 communities are under development/lease-up, comprising approximately 2,000 apartment homes. Gables also has the ability to develop another 2,000 apartment homes through its shadow pipeline of undeveloped land owned. For more information please visit www.gables.com.