Four Points Centre Signs Lead Tenant

"We are extremely excited to sign a lease with such an outstanding company as THQ," said Mark Greiner of Oxford Commercial, the project's leasing firm. "This lease with THQ demonstrates that first-class office buildings continue to attract tenant interest even in challenging markets."

David Kimball and Keith Zimmerman with UGL Equis represented THQ Inc.

THQ Inc. (Nasdaq:THQI) will move this fall into Four Points Centre, Austin's first multi-tenant office building to be awarded the Gold rating under the U.S. Green Building Council's (USGBC) Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED(R)) for its Core & Shell design.

The designation was awarded by the USGBC to the project's first two office buildings, each with 100,000 square feet, after the project met or exceeded a myriad of energy-efficient, environmentally friendly and sustainable features.

Thomas Properties Group Inc. (Nasdaq:TPGI) is the developer behind Four Points Centre, which now features 200,000 square feet of office space, 270,000 square feet of retail space and 550 multi-family apartments. Four Points Centre will ultimately feature an additional 1.0 million square feet of office space; an additional 250,000 square feet of retail space, plus a 250-room hotel, all near the corporate campus of 3M.

"The reasons for building green are innumerable. Most large corporations have adopted sustainable practices and incorporated sustainability as a strategic initiative, and we're finding more and more companies want to operate from office buildings that are energy efficient, healthier places for their employees to work and are environmentally responsible," said John O'Neal, Director with Thomas Properties Group.

LEED, the voluntary, national rating system, analyzes development practices in five key areas: sustainable site development, water savings, energy efficiency, materials and resources selection, and indoor environmental quality.

USGBC studies have shown that when employees have access to clean air and abundant natural lighting, as at Four Points Centre and in most LEED designated buildings, companies see an increase in employee productivity, fewer sick days and lower employee turnover.

Specific features incorporated into the two office buildings at Four Points Centre include: views into the surrounding hill country through floor-to-ceiling windows, installation of high-efficiency lighting and air-conditioning systems, preferred parking spaces for electric and hybrid vehicles, on-site showers and bicycle storage facilities.

Gary Farmer, chairman of the Opportunity Austin economic development initiative, notes having LEED-certified space available is a key strategic advantage when marketing the region.

"As part of Opportunity Austin, we are in constant contact with a variety of businesses contemplating moving to or growing in Austin. With greater frequency, companies are seeking eco-friendly space," Farmer said. "The businesses with that kind of conscience are the exact kind of companies we want in Austin, and it's important to have such space readily available."

Mayor Will Wynn puts the news in historical context.

"Over the last decade, the LEED program has become an internationally recognized program for excellence in sustainable building practices. What's less well known is that the LEED program grew in part out of efforts started in Austin, when USGBC founding Chairman, Rick Fedrizzi, came to study the City's green building program," Wynn said. "For years now, all new City of Austin buildings are designed and constructed to at least a LEED Silver standard, including our GOLD-rated City Hall. So, it's rewarding to see things coming full circle, in a sense, with Austin's first multi-tenant LEED GOLD designation. My congratulations go to Thomas Properties for their vision on this project."

"You hear a lot of talk these days about green building, but Four Points Centre has gone the extra mile proving it with its LEED Gold designation," said Brett Arabie, a partner with Oxford Commercial, who handles the marketing and leasing of the two buildings. "This property genuinely offers people the opportunity to work in a sophisticated and sustainable environment."

About Thomas Properties Group

Thomas Properties Group, Inc., based in Los Angeles, is a full-service real estate company that owns, acquires, develops and manages primarily office, as well as mixed-use and residential properties on a nationwide basis. The company's primary areas of focus are the acquisition and ownership of premier properties, both on a consolidated basis and through its strategic joint ventures, property development and redevelopment, and property management activities. The company seeks to capitalize on opportunities for above-average risk-adjusted investment returns from real estate ownership, while managing the volatility associated with the real estate industry through joint-venture ownership structures. For more information on Thomas Properties Group, Inc., visit www.tpgre.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

Statements made in this press release that are not historical may contain forward-looking statements. Although Thomas Properties Group believes the expectations reflected in any forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, these statements are subject to numerous risks and uncertainties. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from Thomas Properties Group's expectations include actual and perceived trends in various national and economic conditions that affect global and regional markets for commercial real estate services, including interest rates, the availability of credit to finance commercial real estate transactions, and the impact of tax laws affecting real estate. For a discussion of some of the factors that may cause our results to differ from management's expectations, see the information under the captions "Risk Factors" and "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations - Factors That May Influence Future Results of Operations" in our 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2008, and contained in our reports on Form 10-Q for fiscal quarters during 2009, which have been filed with the SEC. Thomas Properties Group disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

SOURCE: Thomas Properties Group

TateAustinHahn for Thomas Properties Group 
Brian Dolezal, 512-619-6742 
bdolezal@tateaustinhahn.com