Edens & Avant, the nation's leading owner, operator and developer of grocery-anchored Necessity Retail(R) Centers, announced today that the Company has been recognized for its outstanding application of Geographic Information System (GIS) technology in conjunction with the Company's Web-based property search program, E&AOnSite(TM). Chosen from more than 60,000 organizations worldwide, Edens & Avant was presented The Special Achievement In GIS Award by Environmental Systems Research Institute (ESRI), the world leader in GIS software, mapping components, and spatial database management tools.

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David Z. Beitz, Geographic & Marketing Information Systems Manager at Edens & Avant accepted the award on behalf of the Company at the 21st Annual ESRI International User Conference in San Diego last week. Beitz is project manager for the application and was a featured speaker at the User Conference, the largest gathering of GIS professionals in the world. The Company was recognized for using state-of-the-art GIS technology to provide the most convenient real estate services possible.

In addition to Edens & Avant, such diverse organizations as the Israel Ministry of Defense; American Automobile Association; Feng Chia University, Taiwan; Chilean Ministry of Interior; Charles Schwab & Company Inc.; USA Today; Michelin Tires; and the United Nations Environmental Programme were also honored.

Edens & Avant created a GIS Internet application that enables retailers to search online for shopping centers and property locations in the Company's portfolio. Retailers can search the program by center name, state, Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA), and demographic attributes. These features enable retailers to narrow their search to the exact shopping centers and locations that meet their specific market requirements. The Company also offers aerial photographs, property pictures, site plans, and property facts on its Internet GIS application.

Edens & Avant's GIS Internet program is the Company's latest application of technology that has been used in-house at Edens & Avant for several years. As example, the Company's Brokerage Services Group uses GIS technology in its site location, analysis, and marketing efforts, providing a strategic advantage in an increasingly competitive industry. In addition, the Brokerage Services Group is well-respected for its leading-edge market reports for primary and secondary commercial real estate markets throughout the Southeast, which also employs GIS application.

"Every year the Special Achievement award honors an elite group of organizations that have embraced GIS technology to better serve the world. Edens & Avant contributions to society through GIS are phenomenal, and their accomplishments have set new precedents throughout the GIS community," said Jack Dangermond, ESRI president.

A geographic information system is a computer-based tool for mapping and analyzing objects and events. It combines the power of a database with the visualization capabilities offered by maps. Businesses, schools, governments, and organizations use GIS in an enormous range of applications, as GIS provides the power to solve complicated problems, experiment with scenarios, and present new ideas with cogency. With ESRI leading the way, GIS has surpassed the geographic analysis and mapping methods of the past and is quickly revolutionizing information technology across the globe. ESRI can be found on the Web at http://www.esri.com.

Edens & Avant is one of the fastest growing retail real estate enterprises in America. As the nation's leading owner, operator and developer of grocery- anchored, Necessity Retail(R) Centers, Edens & Avant's focus is on retail centers traditionally leased to regional and national retailers that serve the basic and recurring consumer needs of the trade area population. The Company's current retail real estate portfolio comprises more than 250 owned and managed grocery anchored shopping centers in 18 states.

With headquarters in Columbia, SC, the Company has Offices in Atlanta and Bainbridge, GA; Myrtle Beach and Greenville, SC; Charlotte, NC; Orlando, FL; Jackson, MS; Roanoke, VA; Washington, DC; Bethesda, MD; Cleveland, OH; and Boston, MA. The Company's Internet address is http://www.edensandavant.com.
SOURCE Edens & Avant

-0- 07/17/2001 R

/CONTACT: Susan Sale-Korper, Vice President, Corporate Marketing of Edens & Avant, +1-800-662-7212, ext. 615, or suzis@edensandavant.com/

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