Investment in Unconsolidated Joint Ventures (Details) (USD $)	3 Months Ended			9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2012		Sep. 30, 2011	Sep. 30, 2012		Sep. 30, 2011	Dec. 31, 2011
SUMMARY OF FINANCIAL POSITION:
Total Assets	$ 1,076,500,000			$ 1,076,500,000			$ 1,130,788,000
Total Debt	385,964,000			385,964,000			392,850,000
Total Equity	620,501,000			620,501,000			666,004,000
Company's Investment	131,426,000			131,426,000			148,396,000
SUMMARY OF OPERATIONS:
Total Revenues				113,621,000		114,356,000
Net Income (Loss)				44,490,000		21,612,000
Company's Share of Income (Loss)	2,269,000		2,660,000	14,217,000		7,468,000
CP Venture IV Holdings LLC [Member]
SUMMARY OF FINANCIAL POSITION:
Total Assets	290,149,000			290,149,000			301,352,000
Total Debt	35,572,000			35,572,000			36,031,000
Total Equity	246,690,000			246,690,000			255,881,000
Company's Investment	14,092,000			14,092,000			14,694,000
SUMMARY OF OPERATIONS:
Total Revenues				22,558,000		23,133,000
Net Income (Loss)				2,814,000		3,111,000
Company's Share of Income (Loss)				778,000		811,000
Charlotte Gateway Village, LLC [Member]
SUMMARY OF FINANCIAL POSITION:
Total Assets	144,152,000			144,152,000			146,854,000
Total Debt	72,046,000			72,046,000			83,097,000
Total Equity	68,705,000			68,705,000			62,423,000
Company's Investment	10,308,000			10,308,000			10,333,000
SUMMARY OF OPERATIONS:
Total Revenues				24,821,000		24,324,000
Net Income (Loss)				7,189,000		6,517,000
Company's Share of Income (Loss)				882,000		882,000
Palisades West LLC [Member]
SUMMARY OF FINANCIAL POSITION:
Total Assets	120,035,000			120,035,000			124,588,000
Total Debt	0			0			0
Total Equity	79,025,000			79,025,000			81,635,000
Company's Investment	41,259,000			41,259,000			42,616,000
SUMMARY OF OPERATIONS:
Total Revenues				12,566,000		12,256,000
Net Income (Loss)				4,350,000		4,371,000
Company's Share of Income (Loss)				2,083,000		2,132,000
CF Murfreesboro Associates [Member]
SUMMARY OF FINANCIAL POSITION:
Total Assets	122,685,000			122,685,000			125,668,000
Total Debt	95,586,000			95,586,000			98,922,000
Total Equity	25,125,000			25,125,000			24,810,000
Company's Investment	14,509,000			14,509,000			14,421,000
SUMMARY OF OPERATIONS:
Total Revenues				9,920,000		9,903,000
Net Income (Loss)				316,000		307,000
Company's Share of Income (Loss)				(46,000)		(44,000)
CP Venture LLC entities [Member]
SUMMARY OF FINANCIAL POSITION:
Total Assets	100,258,000			100,258,000			102,178,000
Total Debt	0			0			0
Total Equity	98,509,000			98,509,000			99,942,000
Company's Investment	3,192,000			3,192,000			3,343,000
SUMMARY OF OPERATIONS:
Total Revenues				14,535,000		14,259,000
Net Income (Loss)				7,280,000		6,132,000
Company's Share of Income (Loss)				752,000		619,000
Cousins Watkins LLC [Member]
SUMMARY OF FINANCIAL POSITION:
Total Assets	54,888,000			54,888,000			56,096,000
Total Debt	28,331,000			28,331,000			28,571,000
Total Equity	25,647,000			25,647,000			26,893,000
Company's Investment	16,439,000			16,439,000			16,321,000
SUMMARY OF OPERATIONS:
Total Revenues				4,365,000		3,633,000
Net Income (Loss)				24,000		47,000
Company's Share of Income (Loss)				1,810,000		1,799,000
EP I LLC [Member]
SUMMARY OF FINANCIAL POSITION:
Total Assets	74,387,000			74,387,000			33,343,000
Total Debt	33,525,000			33,525,000			1,000
Total Equity	32,999,000			32,999,000			29,137,000
Company's Investment	28,175,000			28,175,000			24,827,000
SUMMARY OF OPERATIONS:
Total Revenues				306,000		0
Net Income (Loss)				(53,000)		(6,000)
Company's Share of Income (Loss)				(39,000)		(4,000)
Crawford Long - CPI, LLC [Member]
SUMMARY OF FINANCIAL POSITION:
Total Assets	33,153,000			33,153,000			32,739,000
Total Debt	46,787,000			46,787,000			47,631,000
Total Equity	(15,729,000)			(15,729,000)			(16,137,000)
Company's Investment	(6,698,000)	[1]		(6,698,000)	[1]		(6,873,000)	[1]
SUMMARY OF OPERATIONS:
Total Revenues				8,697,000		8,924,000
Net Income (Loss)				1,908,000		1,828,000
Company's Share of Income (Loss)				950,000		913,000
Ten Peachtree Place Associates [Member]
SUMMARY OF FINANCIAL POSITION:
Total Assets	790,000			790,000			22,523,000
Total Debt	0			0			26,192,000
Total Equity	758,000			758,000			(4,145,000)
Company's Investment	116,000			116,000			(3,679,000)	[1]
SUMMARY OF OPERATIONS:
Total Revenues				2,488,000		5,413,000
Net Income (Loss)				20,938,000		801,000
Company's Share of Income (Loss)				7,852,000		413,000
Equity Method Investment, Net Sales Proceeds				45,300,000
Equity Method Investment, Realized Gain (Loss) on Disposal				7,500,000
Temco Associates, LLC [Member]
SUMMARY OF FINANCIAL POSITION:
Total Assets	8,404,000			8,404,000			23,653,000
Total Debt	0			0			2,787,000
Total Equity	8,056,000			8,056,000			20,646,000
Company's Investment	4,006,000			4,006,000			7,363,000
SUMMARY OF OPERATIONS:
Total Revenues				560,000		405,000
Net Income (Loss)				(141,000)		(782,000)
Company's Share of Income (Loss)				(275,000)		(383,000)
MSREF Terminus Two Hundred LLC [Member]
SUMMARY OF FINANCIAL POSITION:
Total Assets	95,641,000			95,641,000			92,421,000
Total Debt	74,117,000			74,117,000			68,562,000
Total Equity	19,927,000			19,927,000			17,967,000
Company's Investment	3,984,000			3,984,000			3,593,000
SUMMARY OF OPERATIONS:
Total Revenues				9,242,000		3,875,000
Net Income (Loss)				(727,000)		(2,912,000)
Company's Share of Income (Loss)				(146,000)		(584,000)
CL Realty, L.L.C. [Member]
SUMMARY OF FINANCIAL POSITION:
Total Assets	7,274,000			7,274,000			44,481,000
Total Debt	0			0			1,056,000
Total Equity	6,927,000			6,927,000			42,932,000
Company's Investment	3,464,000			3,464,000			22,413,000
SUMMARY OF OPERATIONS:
Total Revenues				2,294,000		5,282,000
Net Income (Loss)				840,000		2,481,000
Company's Share of Income (Loss)				105,000		1,007,000
TRG Columbus Development Venture, Ltd. [Member]
SUMMARY OF FINANCIAL POSITION:
Total Assets	2,389,000			2,389,000			2,450,000
Total Debt	0			0			0
Total Equity	1,847,000			1,847,000			1,857,000
Company's Investment	29,000			29,000			31,000
SUMMARY OF OPERATIONS:
Total Revenues				9,000		23,000
Net Income (Loss)				(10,000)		(1,000)
Company's Share of Income (Loss)				(3,000)		48,000
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
Wildwood Associates [Member]
SUMMARY OF FINANCIAL POSITION:
Total Assets	21,281,000			21,281,000			21,224,000
Total Debt	0			0			0
Total Equity	21,185,000			21,185,000			21,221,000
Company's Investment	(1,658,000)	[1]		(1,658,000)	[1]		(1,639,000)	[1]
SUMMARY OF OPERATIONS:
Total Revenues				0		0
Net Income (Loss)				(127,000)		(126,000)
Company's Share of Income (Loss)				(63,000)		(63,000)
Pine Mountain Builders, LLC [Member]
SUMMARY OF FINANCIAL POSITION:
Total Assets	225,000			225,000			429,000
Total Debt	0			0			0
Total Equity	41,000			41,000			153,000
Company's Investment	209,000			209,000			632,000
SUMMARY OF OPERATIONS:
Total Revenues				1,260,000		2,926,000
Net Income (Loss)				(111,000)		(156,000)
Company's Share of Income (Loss)				(423,000)		(78,000)
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.