October 16, 2001

AUBURN, ALABAMA:  Gerald Divaris, Chairman and CEO of Divaris Real Estate, Inc., announced the signing of a lease with Big Lots, Inc. for 24,030 square feet of retail space in the DRE leased Market Square Shopping Center, located at 1716 Opelika Road in Auburn, Alabama.  Big Lots joins:  Pier I, Office Max, Books-A-Million, Laredo Mexican Restaurant and Weight Cuts in the shopping center.     
 
Big Lots offers the budget-conscious consumer a broad range of quality and name-brand closeout merchandise and furniture at exceptional values.  All Big Lot merchandise is priced 20 to 40 percent below most discount retailers and up to 70 percent below traditional retailers. More than 1,300 closeout stores now operate in 46 states under the following brand names: Big Lots, MacFrugal’s, and Pic ‘N’ Save.  Big Lots has more than 65 freestanding Big Lots Furniture stores and over 500 furniture departments located within closeout stores.  
 
Phillip Shumny, of DRE's Atlanta, Georgia office, represented the Landlord, Wood Auburn Associates, LLC in the negotiations.  
 
Divaris Real Estate, Inc. is headquartered in Virginia Beach, Virginia with additional offices in Norfolk, Chesapeake, Newport News, and Richmond, Virginia; Charlotte, North Carolina; Atlanta, Georgia; Rockville, Maryland; and Boca Raton, Tampa, Hollywood and St. Augustine, Florida. It is an international real estate brokerage and property management company that currently manages and/or leases in excess of 28.2 million square feet of prime office, retail, and industrial space throughout the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern states. 

Divaris Real Estate, Inc. is a member of Realty Resources, a national group of independent retail property brokers and managers covering 75 major markets throughout the United States; and CORE, a national group of full-service commercial and industrial brokers with affiliates throughout the U.S., Canada, Mexico, Asia and in Europe.  These organizations represent corporate and institutional clients, as well as tenants and buyers in all aspects of leasing, development, and managing properties, acquisitions and land sales. Gerald S. Divaris is Chairman of the Board and Michael B. Divaris is President of Divaris Real Estate, Inc.