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First Industrial Arranges a New $110 Million Debt Facility for Its Joint Ventures With CalSTRS

Dec 18, 2008
CHICAGO, Dec 18, 2008 /PRNewswire-FirstCall via COMTEX News Network/ -- First Industrial Realty Trust, Inc. (NYSE: FR), a leading provider of industrial real estate supply chain solutions, today announced that it has arranged a new $110 million term loan facility for its joint ventures with the California State Teachers' Retirement System (CalSTRS), the second-largest public pension fund in the U.S.

The three-year term loan is priced at LIBOR plus 2.75%. The facility includes accordion features, subject to new commitments, that allow the loan to be expanded up to $275 million and a revolving credit line up to $175 million to be added, for a total potential facility of $450 million.

"We are pleased to secure this competitive financing for our joint ventures," said Ed Tyler, interim chief executive officer of First Industrial. "The ability to execute this term loan at attractive terms in the current challenging credit environment reflects the quality of our joint venture assets, our sponsorship, and our joint venture partner."

The loan was arranged through a syndicate of three banks: WestLB (Administrative Agent), PNC Bank, and Regions Bank.

Robert Walter, senior vice president of capital markets of First Industrial, led the Company's team on the transaction.

First Industrial Realty Trust, Inc. (NYSE: FR) provides industrial real estate solutions for every stage of a customer's supply chain, no matter how large or complex. Across more than 30 markets in the United States and Canada, our local market experts buy, (re)develop, lease, manage and sell industrial properties, including all of the major facility types - bulk and regional distribution centers, light industrial, manufacturing and R&D/flex. We continue to receive leading customer service scores from Kingsley Associates, an independent research firm, and in total, we own, manage and have under development nearly 100 million square feet of industrial space. For more information, please visit us at www.firstindustrial.com.

This press release contains certain forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. We intend such forward-looking statements to be covered by the safe harbor provisions for forward-looking statements contained in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, and are including this statement for purposes of complying with those safe harbor provisions. Forward-looking statements, which are based on certain assumptions and describe future plans, strategies and expectations of the Company, are generally identifiable by use of the words "believe," "expect," "intend," "anticipate," "estimate," "project" or similar expressions. Our ability to predict results or the actual effect of future plans or strategies is inherently uncertain. Factors which could have a materially adverse affect on our operations and future prospects include, but are not limited to, changes in: national, international (including trade volume growth), regional and local economic conditions generally and real estate markets specifically, legislation/regulation (including changes to laws governing the taxation of real estate investment trusts), our ability to qualify and maintain our status as a real estate investment trust, availability and attractiveness of financing (including both public and private capital) to us and to our potential counterparties, interest rate levels, our ability to maintain our current credit agency ratings, competition, supply and demand for industrial properties (including land, the supply and demand for which is inherently more volatile than other types of industrial property) in the Company's current and proposed market areas, difficulties in consummating acquisitions and dispositions, risks related to our investments in properties through joint ventures, potential environmental liabilities, slippage in development or lease-up schedules, tenant credit risks, higher-than-expected costs, changes in general accounting principles, policies and guidelines applicable to real estate investment trusts, risks related to doing business internationally (including foreign currency exchange risks and risks related to integrating international properties and operations) and those additional factors described under the heading "Risk Factors" and elsewhere in the Company's annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2007 and in the Company's subsequent quarterly reports on Form 10-Q. We caution you not to place undue reliance on forward looking statements, which reflect our outlook only and speak only as of the date of this report or the dates indicated in the statements. We assume no obligation to update or supplement forward-looking statements. For further information on these and other factors that could impact the Company and the statements contained herein, reference should be made to the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

First Industrial Realty Trust, Inc.
311 South Wacker Drive
Suite 4000
Chicago, IL 60606
312/344-4300
Fax: 312/922-9851

SOURCE First Industrial Realty Trust, Inc.

http://www.firstindustrial.com