INVESTORS

CHICAGO, February 5, 2001 - First Industrial Realty Trust, Inc. (NYSE: FR) announced today that it has named Garry Weiss as senior vice president and national director of Integrated Industrial Solutions™.

Weiss will be responsible for overseeing the company's Integrated Industrial Solutions™ activity nationwide. He has 17 years of experience as an investment and user broker, and has completed more than $2 billion of transactions with a variety of corporate clients. Weiss most recently was a senior vice president in the Investment Services Group at Colliers Bennett & Kahnweiler, and prior to that was a principal and senior member of the investment team at Podolsky Northstar Realty Partners. He has his Bachelor of Arts from the University of Illinois in Champaign-Urbana.

"We are thrilled to have Garry leading our Integrated Industrial Solutions™ team," said David Draft, executive vice president of operations. "Garry brings to First Industrial a wealth of expertise in providing national real estate services to Corporate America. His past experience as an industrial real estate broker, his business acumen, and the broad scope of his background will increase our ability to serve our customers' industrial real estate needs."

First Industrial Realty Trust, Inc., the nation's largest provider of diversified industrial real estate, currently owns, operates and manages 84 million square feet of industrial facilities, including developments in progress. First Industrial is committed to creating shareholder value through its I-N-D-L operating strategy, using its pure Industrial focus and its National platform to serve the Diverse facility needs of customers, while offering the expertise of full-service, Local management.

This press release contains forward looking information about the Company. A number of factors could cause the Company's actual results to differ materially from those anticipated, including changes in the general economic climate, the supply of and demand for industrial properties in the Company's markets, potential environmental liabilities, interest rate levels, the availability of financing, slippage in development or lease-up schedules, tenant credit risks and higher than expected costs. 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.