Corporate Office Properties Trust Breaks Ground Today at North Gate Business Park in Aberdeen, Maryland

COLUMBIA, Md.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Corporate Office Properties Trust (COPT) (NYSE:OFC) announced today that it is breaking ground on the first building at North Gate Business Park in Aberdeen, Maryland. A ceremony will be held today at the site beginning at 11:30 am Eastern Time. When completed, North Gate Business Park will be a 765,000 square foot business park that will include a small portion of retail space that will support the park. The business park is strategically located on Route 22 at the north entrance of Aberdeen Proving Ground in Harford County, Maryland.

COPT has two buildings under development, the first totaling 80,000 square feet with an anticipated completion date of fourth quarter 2009 and the second totaling 85,000 square feet with an anticipated completion date of second quarter 2010.

The business park is expected to service defense contractors moving to Aberdeen, Maryland from Fort Monmouth, New Jersey as a result of the 2005 Base Realignment and Closure Act (BRAC). The Department of Defense C4ISR Mission (Command, Control, Communications, Computers, Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance) is relocating to Aberdeen Proving Ground from Fort Monmouth bringing approximately 8,200 jobs. Defense contractors working with C4ISR will be moving to locations adjacent to Aberdeen Proving Ground within the next three years.

"We are excited to begin our development at North Gate Business Park in support of the BRAC related tenant demand coming to the area," stated Randall M. Griffin, President and Chief Executive Officer of Corporate Office Properties Trust.

Company Information

Corporate Office Properties Trust (COPT) (NYSE:OFC) is a specialty office real estate investment trust (REIT) that focuses on strategic customer relationships and specialized tenant requirements in the U.S. Government, Defense Information Technology and Data sectors. The Company acquires, develops, manages and leases properties which are typically concentrated in large office parks primarily located adjacent to government demand drivers and/or in growth corridors. As of September 30, 2008, the Company owned 254 office and data properties totaling 19.1 million rentable square feet, which includes 19 properties totaling 847,000 square feet held through joint ventures. The Company's portfolio primarily consists of technically sophisticated buildings in visually appealing settings that are environmentally sensitive, sustainable and meet unique customer requirements. More information on COPT can be found at www.copt.com.

Forward-Looking Information

This press release may contain "forward-looking" statements, as defined in Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, that are based on the Company's current expectations, estimates and projections about future events and financial trends affecting the Company. Forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of words such as "may", "will", "should", "expect", "estimate" or other comparable terminology. Forward-looking statements are inherently subject to risks and uncertainties, many of which the Company cannot predict with accuracy and some of which the Company might not even anticipate. Accordingly, the Company can give no assurance that these expectations, estimates and projections will be achieved. Future events and actual results may differ materially from those discussed in the forward-looking statements.

Important factors that may affect these expectations, estimates, and projections include, but are not limited to:

    --  the Company's ability to borrow on favorable terms;
    --  general economic and business conditions, which will, among other
        things, affect office property demand and rents, tenant
        creditworthiness, interest rates and financing availability;
    --  adverse changes in the real estate markets including, among other
        things, increased competition with other companies;
    --  risk of real estate acquisition and development, including, among other
        things, risks that development projects may not be completed on
        schedule, that tenants may not take occupancy or pay rent or that
        development or operating costs may be greater than anticipated;
    --  risks of investing through joint venture structures, including risks
        that the Company's joint venture partners may not fulfill their
        financial obligations as investors or may take actions that are
        inconsistent with the Company's objectives;
    --  our ability to satisfy and operate effectively under federal income tax
        rules relating to real estate investment trusts and partnerships;
    --  governmental actions and initiatives; and
    --  environmental requirements.

The Company undertakes no obligation to update or supplement any forward-looking statements. For further information, please refer to the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, particularly the section entitled "Risk Factors" in Item 1 of the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2007.

    Source: Corporate Office Properties Trust (COPT)

Released November 17, 2008