<div dir="ltr"><div>Cool - we're getting green in Riverdale Park!</div>
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<div><a href="http://washington.bizjournals.com/washington/related_content.html?topic=The%20Joint%20Global%20Change%20Research%20Institute"><strong><font color="#000000">The Joint Global Change Research Institute</font></strong></a> will take 12,000 square feet. The institute, which is a collaboration between Battelle Pacific Northwest Division and the University of Maryland, works on global climate change solutions.</div>
<p>In addition, Fraunhofer USA's Center for Experimental Software Engineering will take 9,000 square feet. That entity is affiliated with the University of Maryland and the Fraunhofer Institute for Software Engineering in Germany. Fraunhofer USA performs applied research for federal and state governments, multi-national corporations and small- and medium-sized companies.</p>
<p>The leases represent Columbia, Md.-based COPT's third and fourth leases at its M Square project, bringing its first two buildings to 77 percent occupancy. "These leases represent continued strong activity in our pipeline of construction and development projects," said Randall Griffin, president and chief executive officer of COPT ((NYSE: OFC).</p>
<p>In a joint venture with the University of Maryland and Manekin, COPT has an agreement to co-develop, lease and manage approximately 750,000 square feet of new office space in eight buildings at M Square. COPT owns a 45 percent interest in the joint venture.</p>
<p>The joint venture will be a multi-year phased development plan. The first phase of the project includes three buildings totaling about 315,000 square feet.</p>
<p>The 124-acre M Square Research Park site is owned by the University of Maryland and has been designated as its official research park. The research park is adjacent to the University of Maryland campus at the intersection of Route 1 and Paint Branch Parkway.</p>
<p>Other tenants at the research park include the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the University of Maryland Center for the Advanced Study of Languages.</p>
<p>COPT is a specialty office real estate investment trust that focuses on specialized tenant requirements for federal government and defense information technology clients.</p><br clear="all"></div>