First Potomac Realty Trust Starts New Building at Its Sterling Park Business Center

First Potomac Realty Trust (NYSE: FPO), a leader in the ownership, management, development and redevelopment of office and industrial properties in the Greater Washington region, announced that it commenced construction on the seventh building at its award-winning Sterling Park Business Center in Sterling, Virginia, just off Route 28 and the Dulles Toll Road, only minutes from Dulles International Airport. Sterling Park Business Center is a 495,000-square-foot office and industrial park with additional land that can accommodate up to 350,000 square feet of new development.

The Company also announced that it has pre-leased 43% of the new building by signing a ten-year, 24,200-square-foot lease with MSI Worldwide Mail (MSI), one of the park’s existing tenants. MSI will relocate and expand, moving its corporate headquarters into the new building. MSI has been a tenant in Sterling Park Business Center since May 2007.

"We are very pleased to have the opportunity to grow within the First Potomac portfolio because of the strong relationship we have built with them over the past several years,” said Richard Gerhardt, MSI Worldwide Mail’s President and Chief Operating Officer. "First Potomac is building a high-quality building that will accommodate our initial requirements and future growth potential.”

Mary Wacker, First Potomac’s Regional Vice President for Northern Virginia, added "Sterling Park Business Center offers a strategic and convenient location for a variety of uses and provides multiple options to develop flexible high-quality space for current and prospective tenants. We are excited that MSI has decided to grow within our portfolio, and we look forward to continuing our strong relationship with them.”

The new 56,900 square-foot flex/office building will use environmentally friendly and sustainable design and construction methods and will be adjacent to First Potomac’s building that received a 2008 NAIOP Northern Virginia Award of Excellence.

DVA Architects of Gaithersburg, Maryland will serve as the architect, and Hubert Construction of Gaithersburg, Maryland will be the general contractor for the new development.

About First Potomac Realty Trust

First Potomac Realty Trust is a self-administered, self-managed real estate investment trust that focuses on owning, operating, developing and redeveloping office and industrial properties in the Greater Washington region. The Company's portfolio totals approximately 12 million square feet. The Company's largest tenant is the U.S. Government, which along with government contractors, accounts for over 20% of the Company's revenue. For more information, please visit us at www.first-potomac.com.

About MSI Worldwide Mail

Headquartered in Sterling, Virginia, MSI is a mail and parcel distribution company with annual revenues of $40 million. MSI’s executive management team has more than 100 years of combined experience in the international mail and parcel distribution industry. With 12 sales offices throughout the US and Canada, MSI operates processing facilities in Sterling, VA, Chicago, IL, Toronto, Ontario and London, England.