Investment in Unconsolidated Joint Ventures (Details) (USD $)	3 Months Ended			6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2012		Jun. 30, 2011	Jun. 30, 2012		Jun. 30, 2011	Dec. 31, 2011
SUMMARY OF FINANCIAL POSITION:
Total Assets	$ 1,070,064,000			$ 1,070,064,000			$ 1,130,788,000
Total Debt	375,382,000			375,382,000			392,850,000
Total Equity	622,007,000			622,007,000			666,004,000
Company's Investment	131,606,000			131,606,000			148,396,000
SUMMARY OF OPERATIONS:
Total Revenues				76,266,000		76,278,000
Net Income (Loss)				36,246,000		13,411,000
Company's Share of Income (Loss)	9,762,000		2,312,000	11,948,000		4,808,000
CP Venture IV Holdings LLC [Member]
SUMMARY OF FINANCIAL POSITION:
Total Assets	294,311,000			294,311,000			301,352,000
Total Debt	35,727,000			35,727,000			36,031,000
Total Equity	249,204,000			249,204,000			255,881,000
Company's Investment	14,232,000			14,232,000			14,694,000
SUMMARY OF OPERATIONS:
Total Revenues				15,097,000		15,430,000
Net Income (Loss)				1,758,000		1,890,000
Company's Share of Income (Loss)				508,000		539,000
Charlotte Gateway Village, LLC [Member]
SUMMARY OF FINANCIAL POSITION:
Total Assets	144,700,000			144,700,000			146,854,000
Total Debt	75,788,000			75,788,000			83,097,000
Total Equity	66,551,000			66,551,000			62,423,000
Company's Investment	10,316,000			10,316,000			10,333,000
SUMMARY OF OPERATIONS:
Total Revenues				16,477,000		16,308,000
Net Income (Loss)				4,733,000		4,282,000
Company's Share of Income (Loss)				588,000		588,000
Palisades West LLC [Member]
SUMMARY OF FINANCIAL POSITION:
Total Assets	121,701,000			121,701,000			124,588,000
Total Debt	0			0			0
Total Equity	79,956,000			79,956,000			81,635,000
Company's Investment	41,743,000			41,743,000			42,616,000
SUMMARY OF OPERATIONS:
Total Revenues				8,192,000		8,114,000
Net Income (Loss)				2,885,000		2,911,000
Company's Share of Income (Loss)				1,381,000		1,422,000
CF Murfreesboro Associates [Member]
SUMMARY OF FINANCIAL POSITION:
Total Assets	123,544,000			123,544,000			125,668,000
Total Debt	96,559,000			96,559,000			98,922,000
Total Equity	24,947,000			24,947,000			24,810,000
Company's Investment	14,451,000			14,451,000			14,421,000
SUMMARY OF OPERATIONS:
Total Revenues				6,612,000		6,622,000
Net Income (Loss)				138,000		178,000
Company's Share of Income (Loss)				(66,000)		(41,000)
CP Venture LLC entities [Member]
SUMMARY OF FINANCIAL POSITION:
Total Assets	101,751,000			101,751,000			102,178,000
Total Debt	0			0			0
Total Equity	99,608,000			99,608,000			99,942,000
Company's Investment	3,306,000			3,306,000			3,343,000
SUMMARY OF OPERATIONS:
Total Revenues				9,695,000		9,506,000
Net Income (Loss)				4,898,000		3,830,000
Company's Share of Income (Loss)				507,000		396,000
MSREF/Cousins Terminus 200 LLC [Member]
SUMMARY OF FINANCIAL POSITION:
Total Assets	96,483,000			96,483,000			92,421,000
Total Debt	73,944,000			73,944,000			68,562,000
Total Equity	19,892,000			19,892,000			17,967,000
Company's Investment	3,977,000			3,977,000			3,593,000
SUMMARY OF OPERATIONS:
Total Revenues				6,105,000		2,197,000
Net Income (Loss)				(704,000)		(2,173,000)
Company's Share of Income (Loss)				(141,000)		(434,000)
Cousins Watkins LLC [Member]
SUMMARY OF FINANCIAL POSITION:
Total Assets	54,873,000			54,873,000			56,096,000
Total Debt	28,412,000			28,412,000			28,571,000
Total Equity	25,752,000			25,752,000			26,893,000
Company's Investment	16,363,000			16,363,000			16,321,000
SUMMARY OF OPERATIONS:
Total Revenues				3,120,000		2,422,000
Net Income (Loss)				(18,000)		17,000
Company's Share of Income (Loss)				1,219,000		1,188,000
EP I LLC [Member]
SUMMARY OF FINANCIAL POSITION:
Total Assets	59,379,000			59,379,000			33,343,000
Total Debt	17,880,000			17,880,000			1,000
Total Equity	33,051,000			33,051,000			29,137,000
Company's Investment	27,975,000			27,975,000			24,827,000
SUMMARY OF OPERATIONS:
Total Revenues				110,000		0
Net Income (Loss)				(1,000)		0
Company's Share of Income (Loss)				(1,000)		0
Crawford Long - CPI, LLC [Member]
SUMMARY OF FINANCIAL POSITION:
Total Assets	32,492,000			32,492,000			32,739,000
Total Debt	47,072,000			47,072,000			47,631,000
Total Equity	(16,390,000)			(16,390,000)			(16,137,000)
Company's Investment	(7,017,000)	[1]		(7,017,000)	[1]		(6,873,000)	[1]
SUMMARY OF OPERATIONS:
Total Revenues				5,850,000		5,955,000
Net Income (Loss)				1,247,000		1,217,000
Company's Share of Income (Loss)				620,000		608,000
Ten Peachtree Place Associates [Member]
SUMMARY OF FINANCIAL POSITION:
Total Assets	786,000			786,000			22,523,000
Total Debt	0			0			26,192,000
Total Equity	717,000			717,000			(4,145,000)
Company's Investment	95,000			95,000			(3,679,000)	[1]
SUMMARY OF OPERATIONS:
Total Revenues				2,487,000		3,611,000
Net Income (Loss)				20,897,000		407,000
Company's Share of Income (Loss)				7,831,000		212,000
Equity Method Investment, Net Sales Proceeds				45,300,000
Equity Method Investment, Realized Gain (Loss) on Disposal				7,500,000
Wildwood Associates [Member]
SUMMARY OF FINANCIAL POSITION:
Total Assets	21,216,000			21,216,000			21,224,000
Total Debt	0			0			0
Total Equity	21,141,000			21,141,000			21,221,000
Company's Investment	(1,680,000)	[1]		(1,680,000)	[1]		(1,639,000)	[1]
SUMMARY OF OPERATIONS:
Total Revenues				0		0
Net Income (Loss)				(81,000)		(85,000)
Company's Share of Income (Loss)				(40,000)		(43,000)
Temco Associates, LLC [Member]
SUMMARY OF FINANCIAL POSITION:
Total Assets	8,346,000			8,346,000			23,653,000
Total Debt	0			0			2,787,000
Total Equity	8,075,000			8,075,000			20,646,000
Company's Investment	4,016,000			4,016,000			7,363,000
SUMMARY OF OPERATIONS:
Total Revenues				500,000		318,000
Net Income (Loss)				(123,000)		(416,000)
Company's Share of Income (Loss)				(265,000)		(202,000)
CL Realty, L.L.C. [Member]
SUMMARY OF FINANCIAL POSITION:
Total Assets	7,065,000			7,065,000			44,481,000
Total Debt	0			0			1,056,000
Total Equity	6,823,000			6,823,000			42,932,000
Company's Investment	3,412,000			3,412,000			22,413,000
SUMMARY OF OPERATIONS:
Total Revenues				1,997,000		3,144,000
Net Income (Loss)				736,000		1,390,000
Company's Share of Income (Loss)				53,000		545,000
TRG Columbus Development Venture, Ltd. [Member]
SUMMARY OF FINANCIAL POSITION:
Total Assets	2,407,000			2,407,000			2,450,000
Total Debt	0			0			0
Total Equity	1,854,000			1,854,000			1,857,000
Company's Investment	28,000			28,000			31,000
SUMMARY OF OPERATIONS:
Total Revenues				9,000		19,000
Net Income (Loss)				(3,000)		7,000
Company's Share of Income (Loss)				(3,000)		50,000
Terminus 200 LLC [Member]
SUMMARY OF FINANCIAL POSITION:
Total Assets	789,000			789,000			789,000
Total Debt	0			0			0
Total Equity	789,000			789,000			789,000
Company's Investment	0			0			0
Pine Mountain Builders, LLC [Member]
SUMMARY OF FINANCIAL POSITION:
Total Assets	221,000			221,000			429,000
Total Debt	0			0			0
Total Equity	37,000			37,000			153,000
Company's Investment	389,000			389,000			632,000
SUMMARY OF OPERATIONS:
Total Revenues				15,000		2,632,000
Net Income (Loss)				(116,000)		(44,000)
Company's Share of Income (Loss)				(243,000)		(20,000)
CL Realty and Temco Associates [Member]
SUMMARY OF OPERATIONS:
Number of Residential Development Projects and Related Residential Land Sold				18
Company's Share of Proceeds from property sale	$ 23,500,000			$ 23,500,000
Ten Peachtree Place Associates [Member]
SUMMARY OF OPERATIONS:
Square Footage of Real Estate Property	260,000			260,000

[1] Negative balances are included in Deferred Income on the Balance Sheets.