Cousins Properties, Inc. , headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia

Atlanta, Georgia

Atlanta is the capital and most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia. According to the 2010 census, Atlanta's population is 420,003. Atlanta is the cultural and economic center of the Atlanta metropolitan area, which is home to 5,268,860 people and is the ninth largest metropolitan area in...

, is a real estate investment trust

Real estate investment trust

A real estate investment trust or REIT is a tax designation for a corporate entity investing in real estate. The purpose of this designation is to reduce or eliminate corporate tax. In return, REITs are required to distribute 90% of their taxable income into the hands of investors...

, and one of the oldest publicly traded real estate companies in the country. It was formed in 1958 by Tom Cousins

Tom Cousins

Thomas Grady Cousins is a prominent real estate developer, sports supporter and philanthropist, primarily based in Atlanta, Georgia.-Commercial career:...

 and has been publicly traded since 1962. It became a real estate investment trust in 1987.

In 2009, its annual revenues were $224.9 million. In 2006, it was described by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution as "the metro area's leading developer". The company developed and later sold the Bank of America Plaza

Bank of America Plaza (Atlanta)

Bank of America Plaza is a skyscraper located in the SoNo district of Atlanta, Georgia. At the tower is the 53rd-tallest building in the world. When it first opened, it was the 9th tallest building in the world, and 6th tallest building in the United States...

 in Atlanta, at the time the tallest building in the Southern United States

Southern United States

The Southern United States—commonly referred to as the American South, Dixie, or simply the South—constitutes a large distinctive area in the southeastern and south-central United States...

. Other notable structures that it has developed include CNN Center

CNN Center

The CNN Center is the world headquarters of the Cable News Network . The main newsrooms and studios for several of CNN's news channels are located in the building...

, Omni Coliseum

Omni Coliseum

The Omni Coliseum, usually called The Omni, from the Latin for "all," or "every," was an indoor arena, located in Atlanta, Georgia, United States. Completed in 1972, the arena seated 16,378, for basketball and 15,278, for ice hockey...

, and 191 Peachtree Tower

191 Peachtree Tower

One Ninety One Peachtree Tower is a 50-story skyscraper in Atlanta, Georgia. Designed by Johnson/Burgee Architects and Kendall/Heaton Associates Inc, the building was completed in 1990 and is the fourth tallest in the city, winning the BOMA Building of the Year Awards the next year, repeating in...

 in Atlanta,
and the Frost Bank Tower

Frost Bank Tower

The Frost Bank Tower is a skyscraper in Austin, Texas, United States. Standing 515 feet tall with 33 floors, it is the third tallest building in Austin, behind The Austonian and the 360 Condominiums. It was developed by Cousins Properties from November 2001 to December 2003 as a class A...

 in Austin, Texas

Austin, Texas

Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of :Texas and the seat of Travis County. Located in Central Texas on the eastern edge of the American Southwest, it is the fourth-largest city in Texas and the 14th most populous city in the United States. It was the third-fastest-growing large city in...

. Among other holdings, it also owns and operates the American Cancer Society Center in Atlanta.
Thomas Cousins retired from his position as CEO in 2002, but stayed on as chairman of the board of directors until the end of 2006.

As of 2009, Cousins has been reported to have developed over 20 million feet of office space, 20 million more in retail space, and more than 60 suburban housing developments.