Investment in Unconsolidated Joint Ventures (Summary of Financial Data and Principal Activities) (Details) (USD $)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2013		Dec. 31, 2012		Dec. 31, 2011
Schedule of Equity Method Investments [Line Items]
Fees Earned from Unconsolidated Joint Ventures	$ 7,800,000		$ 8,700,000		$ 10,100,000
Document Fiscal Year Focus	2013
SUMMARY OF FINANCIAL POSITION:
Total Assets	657,384,000		950,013,000
Total Debt	428,153,000		390,794,000
Total Equity	210,460,000		535,515,000
Company's Investment	84,322,000		89,797,000
SUMMARY OF OPERATIONS:
Total Revenues	137,107,000		148,338,000		154,592,000
Net Income (Loss)	72,894,000		52,638,000		(38,591,000)
Company's Share of Income (Loss)	67,325,000		39,258,000		(18,299,000)
Terminus Office Holdings [Member]
SUMMARY OF FINANCIAL POSITION:
Total Assets	297,815,000		0
Total Debt	215,942,000		0
Total Equity	69,867,000		0
Company's Investment	35,885,000		0
SUMMARY OF OPERATIONS:
Total Revenues	33,109,000		0		0
Net Income (Loss)	(408,000)		0		0
Company's Share of Income (Loss)	(182,000)		0		0
EP I LLC [Member]
SUMMARY OF FINANCIAL POSITION:
Total Assets	88,130,000		83,235,000
Total Debt	57,092,000		43,515,000
Total Equity	29,229,000		32,611,000
Company's Investment	25,319,000		27,864,000
SUMMARY OF OPERATIONS:
Total Revenues	8,261,000		796,000		0
Net Income (Loss)	100,000		(441,000)		(6,000)
Company's Share of Income (Loss)	75,000		(330,000)		(4,000)
Cousins Watkins LLC [Member]
SUMMARY OF FINANCIAL POSITION:
Total Assets	51,653,000		54,285,000
Total Debt	27,710,000		28,244,000
Total Equity	23,081,000		25,259,000
Company's Investment	17,213,000		16,692,000
SUMMARY OF OPERATIONS:
Total Revenues	5,483,000		5,575,000		4,831,000
Net Income (Loss)	55,000		(24,000)		42,000
Company's Share of Income (Loss)	2,306,000		2,397,000		2,410,000
Charlotte Gateway Village, LLC [Member]
SUMMARY OF FINANCIAL POSITION:
Total Assets	135,966,000		140,384,000
Total Debt	52,408,000		68,242,000
Total Equity	82,373,000		70,917,000
Company's Investment	11,252,000		10,299,000
SUMMARY OF OPERATIONS:
Total Revenues	33,281,000		32,901,000		32,442,000
Net Income (Loss)	10,693,000		9,704,000		8,802,000
Company's Share of Income (Loss)	1,176,000		1,176,000		1,176,000
EP II LLC [Member]
SUMMARY OF FINANCIAL POSITION:
Total Assets	12,644,000		0
Total Debt	1,000		0
Total Equity	11,695,000		0
Company's Investment	9,566,000		0
SUMMARY OF OPERATIONS:
Total Revenues	0		0		0
Net Income (Loss)	0		0		0
Company's Share of Income (Loss)	0		0		0
Temco Associates
SUMMARY OF FINANCIAL POSITION:
Total Assets	8,474,000		8,409,000
Total Debt	0		0
Total Equity	8,315,000		8,233,000
Company's Investment	4,083,000		4,095,000
SUMMARY OF OPERATIONS:
Total Revenues	630,000		702,000		653,000
Net Income (Loss)	96,000		(65,000)		(37,494,000)
Company's Share of Income (Loss)	(12,000)		(236,000)		(15,682,000)
CL Realty, L.L.C. [Member]
SUMMARY OF FINANCIAL POSITION:
Total Assets	7,602,000		7,549,000
Total Debt	0		0
Total Equity	7,374,000		7,155,000
Company's Investment	3,704,000		3,579,000
SUMMARY OF OPERATIONS:
Total Revenues	1,603,000		2,667,000		9,141,000
Net Income (Loss)	1,027,000		1,068,000		(28,508,000)
Company's Share of Income (Loss)	524,000		221,000		(11,971,000)
MSREF/Cousins Terminus 200 LLC [Member]
SUMMARY OF FINANCIAL POSITION:
Total Assets	0		95,520,000
Total Debt	0		74,340,000
Total Equity	0		19,659,000
Company's Investment	0		3,930,000
SUMMARY OF OPERATIONS:
Total Revenues	1,197,000		12,265,000		13,081,000
Net Income (Loss)	(235,000)		(1,069,000)		547,000
Company's Share of Income (Loss)	(69,000)		(215,000)		25,000
Cp Venture Five LLC [Member]
SUMMARY OF FINANCIAL POSITION:
Total Assets	0		286,647,000
Total Debt	0		35,417,000
Total Equity	0		243,563,000
Company's Investment	0		13,884,000
SUMMARY OF OPERATIONS:
Total Revenues	20,192,000		30,007,000		31,020,000
Net Income (Loss)	3,075,000		3,943,000		4,008,000
Company's Share of Income (Loss)	17,070,000		1,059,000		1,054,000
CP Venture Two LLC [Member]
SUMMARY OF FINANCIAL POSITION:
Total Assets	0		96,345,000
Total Debt	0		0
Total Equity	0		94,819,000
Company's Investment	0		2,894,000
SUMMARY OF OPERATIONS:
Total Revenues	12,965,000		19,533,000		6,093,000
Net Income (Loss)	7,033,000		10,473,000		(3,453,000)
Company's Share of Income (Loss)	21,590,000		1,208,000		(693,000)
Palisades West LLC [Member]
SUMMARY OF OPERATIONS:
Total Revenues	0		15,401,000		19,061,000
Net Income (Loss)	(27,000)		5,330,000		8,459,000
Company's Share of Income (Loss)	0		25,547,000		860,000
Ten Peachtree Place Associates [Member]
SUMMARY OF OPERATIONS:
Total Revenues	0		2,488,000		1,000
Net Income (Loss)	0		20,895,000		(155,000)
Company's Share of Income (Loss)	0		7,843,000		(77,000)
CF Murfreesboro Associates [Member]
SUMMARY OF FINANCIAL POSITION:
Total Assets	0		121,451,000
Total Debt	0		94,540,000
Total Equity	0		25,411,000
Company's Investment	0		14,571,000
SUMMARY OF OPERATIONS:
Total Revenues	8,067,000		13,152,000		11,904,000
Net Income (Loss)	48,953,000		602,000		2,404,000
Company's Share of Income (Loss)	23,553,000		16,000		1,199,000
Wildwood Associates [Member]
SUMMARY OF FINANCIAL POSITION:
Total Assets	21,127,000		21,176,000
Total Debt	0		0
Total Equity	21,121,000		21,173,000
Company's Investment	(1,689,000)	[1]	(1,664,000)	[1]
SUMMARY OF OPERATIONS:
Total Revenues	0		1,000		16,230,000
Net Income (Loss)	(151,000)		(139,000)		5,858,000
Company's Share of Income (Loss)	(75,000)		(70,000)		2,858,000
Crawford Long CPI LLC [Member]
SUMMARY OF FINANCIAL POSITION:
Total Assets	32,042,000		32,818,000
Total Debt	75,000,000		46,496,000
Total Equity	(44,295,000)		(15,129,000)
Company's Investment	(21,071,000)	[1]	(6,407,000)	[1]
SUMMARY OF OPERATIONS:
Total Revenues	11,829,000		11,579,000		7,178,000
Net Income (Loss)	2,827,000		2,508,000		1,161,000
Company's Share of Income (Loss)	1,372,000		1,248,000		596,000
Other [Member]
SUMMARY OF FINANCIAL POSITION:
Total Assets	1,931,000		2,194,000
Total Debt	0		0
Total Equity	1,700,000		1,844,000
Company's Investment	60,000		60,000
SUMMARY OF OPERATIONS:
Total Revenues	490,000		1,271,000		2,957,000
Net Income (Loss)	(144,000)		(147,000)		(256,000)
Company's Share of Income (Loss)	$ (3,000)		$ (606,000)		$ (50,000)

[1] Negative balances are included in deferred income on the balance sheets.