INVESTORS

CHICAGO, April 4, 2005 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ -- First Industrial Realty Trust, Inc. (NYSE: FR), the nation's largest provider of diversified industrial real estate, today announced that David Harker has been promoted to executive director of investments, effective April 18, 2005, reporting directly to Johannson L. Yap, chief investment officer. In his new role, Mr. Harker will be responsible for real estate investments nationwide.

Mr. Harker has worked at First Industrial Realty Trust for nearly seven years, most recently as a senior regional director. He has extensive real estate experience having worked for Trammell Crow as a broker, Hamilton Partners as a leasing agent, and Zane May Interests as vice president of acquisitions and asset management. Mr. Harker earned a masters of business administration in finance and real estate from the University of Pennsylvania Wharton School and a bachelor of science in civil engineering from the University of Illinois.

"David will promote First Industrial's strategy of expanding customer relationships with Corporate America through the investment process, and his efforts will be supported by our recent joint venture that provides up to $950 million of new capital to invest," said Mr. Yap. "We are very pleased to have David in this key position."

Mr. Harker will be based in First Industrial's headquarters in Chicago, Illinois.

First Industrial Realty Trust, Inc., the nation's largest provider of diversified industrial real estate, serves every aspect of Corporate America's industrial real estate needs, including customized supply chain solutions, through its unique I-N-D-L operating platform, which utilizes a pure Industrial focus and National scope to provide Diverse facility types, while offering Local, full-service management and expertise. Building, buying, selling, leasing and managing industrial property in major markets nationwide, First Industrial develops long-term relationships with corporate real estate directors, tenants and brokers to better serve customers with creative, flexible industrial real estate solutions.

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: economic conditions generally and the real estate market specifically, legislative/regulatory changes (including changes to laws governing the taxation of real estate investment trusts), availability of financing, interest rate levels, competition, supply and demand for industrial properties in the Company's and the operating partnership's current and proposed market areas, potential environmental liabilities, slippage in development or lease-up schedules, tenant credit risks, higher-than-expected costs and changes in general accounting principles, policies and guidelines applicable to real estate investment trusts. 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.

SOURCE First Industrial Realty Trust, Inc.

Sean P. O'Neill, SVP, Investor Relations and Corporate Communications, +1-312-344-4401, or, Mike Daly, Director, Investor Relations and Corporate Communications, +1-312-344-4320, both of First Industrial Realty Trust, Inc.