Parkway Agrees To Purchase Eight Office Buildings in Prime Submarket of Jacksonville, Florida

ORLANDO, Fla., Jan. 22, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Parkway Properties, Inc. (NYSE: PKY) announced today that it has entered into a purchase and sale agreement to acquire a portfolio of eight office properties totaling 1.0 million square feet located in the Deerwood submarket of Jacksonville, Florida (the "Deerwood Portfolio") for a purchase price of $130 million.  The properties were developed in phases from 1996 through 2005 and are currently a combined 93.7% occupied with an average in place gross rent per square foot of $19.11. 

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James R. Heistand, Parkway's President and Chief Executive Officer, stated, "We believe the Deerwood portfolio offers a stable, core investment with strong occupancy and a high-quality rent roll.  The Deerwood submarket has been a targeted growth area for Parkway given its prime location and the many amenities it offers, attracting a multitude of institutional and strong credit tenants to the area.  Parkway will have a critical mass in this submarket, owning approximately 29% of the total office inventory, which should provide us with operational efficiencies and leasing advantages.  In addition, our attractive cost basis of $128 per square foot represents a significant discount to estimated replacement cost."

The Deerwood Portfolio is expected to generate an initial full-year cash net operating income yield of approximately 9%.  Parkway will own 100% of the portfolio and plans to place secured financing on the properties simultaneous with closing totaling up to 65% of the purchase price.  Parkway intends to fund the remaining equity using borrowings from its revolving credit facility.  Closing is expected to occur by the end of the first quarter 2013 and is subject to customary closing conditions, including completion of satisfactory due diligence. 

The Deerwood submarket is comprised of approximately 3.5 million square feet and has a direct vacancy rate of 9.7% as of December 31, 2012, according to CBRE. 

Other Investment Activity

On January 17, 2013, Parkway completed the previously announced purchase of Tower Place 200, a 260,000 square foot office tower located in the Buckhead submarket of Atlanta, Georgia, for a purchase price of $56.0 million.  Tower Place 200 was built in 1998 and is a 13-story, Class A office tower that shares a parking garage with Parkway's neighboring 3344 Peachtree asset.  The building is approximately 82.9% occupied with an average in place gross rent per square foot of $26.37.  Parkway owns 100% of the asset and does not plan to place secured financing on the property at this time.

About Parkway Properties

Parkway Properties, Inc., a member of the S&P Small Cap 600 Index, is a self-administered real estate investment trust specializing in the ownership of quality office properties in higher-growth submarkets in the Sunbelt region of the United States.  Parkway owns or has an interest in 43 office properties located in nine states with an aggregate of approximately 11.9 million square feet of leasable space at January 1, 2013.  Fee-based real estate services are offered through wholly owned subsidiaries of the Company, which in total manage and/or lease approximately 10.8 million square feet for third-party owners at January 1, 2013.

Parkway Properties, Inc.'s press releases and additional information about the Company are available on the Company's website at www.pky.com.

Forward Looking Statement

Certain statements in this press release that are not in the present or past tense or that discuss the Company's expectations (including any use of the words "anticipate," "assume," "believe," "estimate," "expect," "forecast," "guidance," "intend," "may," "might," "project", "should" or similar expressions) are forward-looking statements within the meaning of the federal securities laws and as such are based upon the Company's current beliefs as to the outcome and timing of future events. There can be no assurance that actual future developments affecting the Company will be those anticipated by the Company.  Examples of forward-looking statements include projected net operating income, cap rates, internal rates of return, future dividend payment rates, forecasts of FFO accretion, projected capital improvements, expected sources of financing, expectations as to the timing of closing of acquisitions, dispositions and other potential transactions and descriptions relating to these expectations.  These forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties (some of which are beyond the control of the Company) and are subject to change based upon various factors, including but not limited to the following risks and uncertainties: changes in the real estate industry and in performance of the financial markets; the demand for and market acceptance of the Company's properties for rental purposes; the ability of the Company to enter into new leases or renew leases on favorable terms; the amount and growth of the Company's expenses; tenant financial difficulties and general economic conditions, including interest rates, as well as economic conditions in those areas where the Company owns properties; risks associated with joint venture partners; risks associated with the ownership and development of real property; termination of property management contracts; the bankruptcy or insolvency of companies for which Parkway provides property management services or the sale of these properties; the outcome of claims and litigation involving or affecting the Company; the ability to satisfy conditions necessary to close pending transactions and the ability to successfully integrate pending transactions; applicable regulatory changes; and other risks and uncertainties detailed from time to time in the Company's SEC filings. Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties occur, or should underlying assumptions prove incorrect, the Company's business, financial condition, liquidity, cash flows and financial results could differ materially from those expressed in the Company's forward-looking statements. Any forward-looking statement speaks only as of the date on which it is made.  New risks and uncertainties arise over time, and it is not possible for us to predict the occurrence of those matters or the manner in which they may affect us.  The Company does not undertake to update forward-looking statements except as may be required by law.

Contact:
Thomas E. Blalock
Vice President of Investor Relations
(407) 650-0593

SOURCE Parkway Properties, Inc.

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