MERIDIAN INDUSTRIAL TRUST INC
8-K, 1998-06-26
REAL ESTATE INVESTMENT TRUSTS
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<PAGE>

================================================================================

                          SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                               WASHINGTON, D.C.  20549


                                ----------------------


                                       FORM 8-K
                                    CURRENT REPORT

                           PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d)
                        OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

           DATE OF REPORT (DATE OF EARLIEST EVENT REPORTED):  JUNE 25, 1998


                                ----------------------


                           MERIDIAN INDUSTRIAL TRUST, INC.
                (Exact name of Registrant as specified in its charter)



          MARYLAND                   1-14166                  94-3224765
       (State or other           (Commission File          (I.R.S. Employer
       jurisdiction of               Number)            Identification Number)
       incorporation)

   455 MARKET STREET, 17TH FLOOR                                94105
    SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA                                 (Zip code)
     (Address of principal
       executive offices)



         Registrant's telephone number, including area code:  (415) 281-3900



                    (former address if changed since last report)

================================================================================


<PAGE>

ITEM 5.        OTHER EVENTS.
               In connection with the offering of 2,000,000 shares of 8.75%
               Series D Cumulative Redeemable Preferred Stock, par value $.001
               per share (the "Series D Preferred Stock"), the Company is filing
               certain items with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
     
ITEM 7.        FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND EXHIBITS.

               Exhibit 1.1    Underwriting Agreement dated June 24, 1998 among
                              Meridian Industrial Trust, Inc., Goldman, Sachs &
                              Co., Prudential Securities Incorporated, ABN AMRO
                              Incorporated, A.G. Edwards & Sons, Inc., Legg
                              Mason Wood Walker, Incorporated, and PaineWebber
                              Incorporated, as representatives of the several
                              underwriters.
     
               Exhibit 1.2    Pricing Agreement dated June 24, 1998 among
                              Meridian Industrial Trust, Inc., Goldman, Sachs &
                              Co., Prudential Securities Incorporated, ABN AMRO
                              Incorporated, A.G. Edwards & Sons, Inc., Legg
                              Mason Wood Walker, Incorporated, and PaineWebber
                              Incorporated, as representatives of the several
                              underwriters.
     
               Exhibit 3.1    Articles Supplementary dated June 25, 1998
                              classifying 2,300,000 shares of 8.75% Series D
                              Cumulative Redeemable Preferred Stock.
     
               Exhibit 5.1    Opinion of Ballard Spahr Andrews & Ingersoll.
     
               Exhibit 23.1   Consent of Ballard Spahr Andrews & Ingersoll
                              (included in the opinion filed as Exhibit 5.1 to
                              this Report).
     

<PAGE>

                                      SIGNATURES


     Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the
registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the
undersigned thereunto duly authorized.



                              MERIDIAN INDUSTRIAL TRUST, INC.



                              By:            /s/ Milton K. Reeder
                                 ---------------------------------------------
                              Name:     Milton K. Reeder
                              Title:    President and Chief Financial Officer

Date:     June 25, 1998

<PAGE>


                                  INDEX TO EXHIBITS

<TABLE>
Exhibit No.                                                                 Page
- -----------                                                                 ----
<S>          <C>                                                            <C>
1.1          Underwriting Agreement dated June 24, 1998 among Meridian
             Industrial Trust, Inc., Goldman, Sachs & Co., Prudential
             Securities Incorporated, ABN AMRO Incorporated, A.G.
             Edwards & Sons, Inc., Legg Mason Wood Walker, Incorporated,
             and PaineWebber Incorporated, as representatives of the
             several underwriters.    

1.2          Pricing Agreement dated June 24, 1998 among Meridian
             Industrial Trust, Inc., Goldman, Sachs & Co., Prudential
             Securities Incorporated, ABN AMRO Incorporated, A.G.
             Edwards & Sons, Inc., Legg Mason Wood Walker, Incorporated,
             and PaineWebber Incorporated, as representatives of the
             several underwriters.
     
3.1          Articles Supplementary dated June 25, 1998 classifying
             2,300,000 shares of 8.75% Series D Cumulative Redeemable
             Preferred Stock.

5.1          Opinion of Ballard Spahr Andrews & Ingersoll.
     
23.1         Consent of Ballard Spahr Andrews & Ingersoll (included in
             the opinion filed as Exhibit 5.1 to this Report).
</TABLE>


<PAGE>

                                       
                       MERIDIAN INDUSTRIAL TRUST, INC. 
                                       
             8.75% SERIES D CUMULATIVE REDEEMABLE PREFERRED STOCK
                                       
                  (LIQUIDATION PREFERENCE $25.00 PER SHARE)
                         (PAR VALUE $.001 PER SHARE)
                                       
                                       
                            ----------------------
                            UNDERWRITING AGREEMENT
                            ----------------------
                                       
                                                                  June 24, 1998

GOLDMAN, SACHS & CO.,
     85 BROAD STREET,
     NEW YORK, NEW YORK 10004.

TO THE REPRESENTATIVES OF THE SEVERAL
     UNDERWRITERS NAMED IN THE RESPECTIVE
     PRICING AGREEMENTS HEREINAFTER DESCRIBED.

Ladies and Gentlemen:

     From time to time Meridian Industrial Trust, Inc., a Maryland 
corporation (the "Company"), proposes to enter into one or more Pricing 
Agreements (each a "Pricing Agreement") in the form of Annex I hereto, with 
such additions and deletions as the parties thereto may determine, and, 
subject to the terms and conditions stated herein and therein, to issue and 
sell to the firms named in Schedule I to the applicable Pricing Agreement 
(such firms constituting the "Underwriters" with respect to such Pricing 
Agreement and the securities specified therein) certain shares of its 
Preferred Stock (the "Shares").  The shares of Preferred Stock specified in 
such Pricing Agreement are referred to as the "Firm Shares" with respect to 
such Pricing Agreement and the shares of Preferred Stock represented by such 
Pricing Agreement are referred to as the shares of "Designated Preferred 
Stock" with respect to such Pricing Agreement. If specified in such Pricing 
Agreement, the Company may grant the Underwriters the right to purchase at 
their election an additional number of shares of Preferred Stock, specified 
as provided in such Pricing Agreement as provided in Section 3 hereof (the 
"Optional Shares").  The Firm Shares and the Optional Shares, if any, which 
the Underwriters elect to purchase pursuant to Section 3 hereof are herein 
collectively referred to as the "Designated Shares." 

     The terms and rights of any particular issuance of Designated Shares 
shall be as specified in the Pricing Agreement relating thereto.

     1.   Particular sales of Designated Shares may be made from time to time 
to the Underwriters of such Shares, for whom the firms designated as 
representatives of the Underwriters of such Shares in the Pricing Agreement 
relating thereto will act as representatives (the "Representatives").  The 
term "Representatives" also refers to a single firm acting as sole 
representative of the Underwriters and to Underwriters who act without any 
firm being designated as their representative.  This Underwriting Agreement 
shall not be construed as an obligation of 

<PAGE>

the Company to sell any of the Shares or as an obligation of any of the 
Underwriters to purchase any of the Shares.  The obligation of the Company to 
issue and sell any of the Shares and the obligation of any of the 
Underwriters to purchase any of the Shares shall be evidenced by the Pricing 
Agreement with respect to the Designated Shares specified therein.  Each 
Pricing Agreement shall specify the aggregate number of the Firm Shares, the 
maximum number of Optional Shares, if any, the initial public offering price 
of such Firm and Optional Shares or the manner of determining such price, the 
terms of the Designated Shares, including the terms on which and terms of the 
securities into which the Designated Shares may be convertible or 
exchangeable, whether the Designated Shares will be represented by Depositary 
Shares, the name of the Depositary, if any, and Date of the Deposit 
Agreement, the purchase price to the Underwriters of such Designated Shares, 
the names of the Underwriters of such Designated Shares, the names of the 
Representatives of such Underwriters, the number of such Designated Shares to 
be purchased by each Underwriter and the commission, if any, payable to the 
Underwriters with respect thereto and shall set forth the date, time and 
manner of delivery of such Firm and Optional Shares, if any, and payment 
therefor.  The Pricing Agreement shall also specify (to the extent not set 
forth in the registration statement and prospectus with respect thereto) the 
terms of such Designated Shares.  A Pricing Agreement shall be in the form of 
an executed writing (which may be in counterparts), and may be evidenced by 
an exchange of telegraphic communications or any other rapid transmission 
device designed to produce a written record of communications transmitted.  
The obligations of the Underwriters under this Agreement and each Pricing 
Agreement shall be several and not joint.

     2.   The Company represents and warrants to, and agrees with, each of 
the Underwriters that:

          (a) A registration statement on Form S-3 (File No. 333-24579) (the
     Initial Registration Statement") in respect of the Shares has been filed
     with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "Commission"); the Initial
     Registration Statement and any post-effective amendment thereto, each in
     the form heretofore delivered or to be delivered to the Representatives
     and, excluding exhibits to the Initial Registration Statement, but
     including all documents incorporated by reference in the prospectus
     included therein, to the Representatives for each of the other Underwriters
     have been declared effective by the Commission in such form; other than a
     registration statement, if any, increasing the size of the offering (a
     "Rule 462(b) Registration Statement"), filed pursuant to Rule 462(b) under
     the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Act"), which became effective
     upon filing, no other document with respect to the Initial Registration
     Statement or document incorporated by reference therein has heretofore been
     filed, or transmitted for filing, with the Commission (other than
     prospectuses filed pursuant to Rule 424(b) of the rules and regulations of
     the Commission under the Act each in the form heretofore delivered to the
     Representatives); and no stop order suspending the effectiveness of the
     Initial Registration Statement, any post-effective amendment thereto or the
     Rule 462(b) Registration Statement, if any, has been issued and no
     proceeding for that purpose has been initiated or, to the knowledge of the
     Company, threatened by the Commission (any preliminary prospectus included
     in the Initial Registration Statement or filed with the Commission pursuant
     to Rule 424(a) under the Act, is hereinafter called a "Preliminary
     Prospectus"; the various parts of the Initial Registration Statement and
     the Rule 462(b) Registration Statement, if any, including all exhibits
     thereto and the documents incorporated by reference in the prospectus
     contained in the Initial Registration Statement at the time such part of
     the Initial Registration Statement became 

                                   [PAGE  ]
<PAGE>

     effective or such part of the Rule 462(b) Registration Statement, if any, 
     became or hereafter becomes effective, each as amended at the time such 
     part of the Initial Registration Statement became effective, are 
     hereinafter collectively called the "Registration Statement"; the 
     prospectus relating to the Shares, in the form in which it has most 
     recently been filed, or transmitted for filing, with the Commission on or 
     prior to the date of this Agreement, is hereinafter called the 
     "Prospectus"; any reference herein to any Preliminary Prospectus or the 
     Prospectus shall be deemed to refer to and include the documents 
     incorporated by reference therein pursuant to the applicable form under 
     the Act, as of the date of such Preliminary Prospectus or Prospectus, as 
     the case may be; any reference to any amendment or supplement to any 
     Preliminary Prospectus or the Prospectus shall be deemed to refer to and 
     include any documents filed after the date of such Preliminary Prospectus 
     or Prospectus, as the case may be, under the Securities Exchange Act of 
     1934, as amended (the "Exchange Act"), and incorporated by reference in 
     such Preliminary Prospectus or Prospectus, as the case may be; any 
     reference to any amendment to the Registration Statement shall be deemed 
     to refer to and include any annual report of the Company filed pursuant to 
     Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Exchange Act after the effective date of the 
     Initial Registration Statement that is incorporated by reference in the 
     Registration Statement; and any reference to the Prospectus as amended or 
     supplemented shall be deemed to refer to the Prospectus as amended or 
     supplemented in relation to the applicable Designated Shares in the form 
     in which it is filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) under the 
     Act in accordance with Section 5(a) hereof, including any documents 
     incorporated by reference therein as of the date of such filing);

          (b) The documents incorporated by reference in the Prospectus, when
     they became effective or were filed with the Commission, as the case may
     be, conformed in all material respects to the requirements of the Act or
     the Exchange Act, as applicable, and the rules and regulations of the
     Commission thereunder, and none of such documents contained an untrue
     statement of a material fact or omitted to state a material fact required
     to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not
     misleading; and any further documents so filed and incorporated by
     reference in the Prospectus or any further amendment or supplement thereto,
     when such documents become effective or are filed with the Commission, as
     the case may be, will conform in all material respects to the requirements
     of the Act or the Exchange Act, as applicable, and the rules and
     regulations of the Commission thereunder and will not contain an untrue
     statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to
     be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not
     misleading; PROVIDED, HOWEVER, that this representation and warranty shall
     not apply to any statements or omissions made in reliance upon and in
     conformity with information furnished in writing to the Company by an
     Underwriter of Designated Shares through the Representatives expressly for
     use in the Prospectus as amended or supplemented relating to such Shares;

          (c) The Registration Statement and the Prospectus conform, and any
     further amendments or supplements to the Registration Statement or the
     Prospectus will conform, in all material respects to the requirements of
     the Act and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder and do
     not and will not, as of the applicable effective date as to the
     Registration Statement and any amendment thereto and as of the applicable
     filing date as to the Prospectus and any amendment or supplement thereto,
     contain an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material
     fact required to 

                                   [PAGE  ]
<PAGE>

     be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not 
     misleading; PROVIDED, HOWEVER, that this representation and warranty shall 
     not apply to any statements or omissions made in reliance upon and in 
     conformity with information furnished in writing to the Company by an 
     Underwriter of Designated Shares through the Representatives expressly for 
     use in the Prospectus as amended or supplemented relating to such Shares;

          (d) Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries ("subsidiaries," 
     as used herein, shall include any entities consolidated in the Company's
     financial statements has sustained since the date of the latest audited
     financial statements) included or incorporated by reference in the
     Prospectus any material loss or interference with its business from fire,
     explosion, flood or other calamity, whether or not covered by insurance, or
     from any labor dispute or court or governmental action, order or decree,
     otherwise than as set forth or contemplated in the Prospectus; and, since
     the respective dates as of which information is given in the Registration
     Statement and the Prospectus, there has not been any change in the stock or
     long-term debt of the Company or any of its subsidiaries or any material
     adverse change, or any development involving a prospective material adverse
     change, in or affecting the general affairs, management, financial
     position, stockholders' equity or results of operations of the Company and
     its subsidiaries, otherwise than as set forth or contemplated in the
     Prospectus;

          (e) The Company has been duly incorporated and is validly existing as 
     a corporation in good standing under the laws of Maryland, with power and
     authority (corporate and other) to own, lease and operate its properties
     and conduct its business as described in the Prospectus and to enter into
     and perform its obligations under this Agreement; the Company is duly
     qualified as a foreign organization to transact business and is in good
     standing in each jurisdiction in which such qualification is required,
     whether by reason of the ownership or leasing of property or the conduct of
     business, except where the failure to so qualify would not reasonably be
     expected to have a material adverse effect on the current or future
     consolidated financial position, stockholders' equity or results of
     operations of the Company;

          (f) Each of the subsidiaries of the Company has been duly organized 
     and is validly existing as a corporation, limited partnership or limited
     liability company, as the case may be, in good standing under the laws of
     the jurisdiction of its formation, with full power and authority to own,
     lease and operate its properties and to conduct its business as described
     in the Prospectus; each of the subsidiaries of the Company is duly
     qualified as a foreign organization to transact business and is in good
     standing in each jurisdiction in which such qualification is required,
     whether by reason of the ownership or leasing of property or the conduct of
     business, except where the failure to so qualify would not reasonably be
     expected to have a material adverse effect on the current or future
     consolidated financial position, stockholders' equity or results of
     operations of the Company and its subsidiaries; 

          (g) The Company has an authorized capitalization as set forth in the
     Prospectus, and all of the issued shares of stock of the Company have been
     duly and validly authorized and issued and are fully paid and
     non-assessable;

          (h) The Shares have been duly and validly authorized, and, when the
     Firm Shares are issued and delivered pursuant to this Agreement and the
     Pricing Agreement with respect to such Designated Shares and, in the case
     of any Optional Shares, 

                                   [PAGE  ]
<PAGE>

     pursuant to Over-allotment Options (as defined in Section 3 hereof) with 
     respect to such Shares, such Designated Shares will be duly and validly 
     issued and fully paid and non-assessable; the Shares conform to the 
     description thereof contained in the Registration Statement and the 
     Designated Shares will conform in all material respects to the description 
     thereof contained in the Prospectus as amended or supplemented with 
     respect to such Designated Shares; and the applicable Articles 
     Supplementary will be in full force and effect prior to the Time of 
     Delivery;

          (i) The issue and sale of the Shares and the compliance by the Company
     with all of the provisions of this Agreement, any Pricing Agreement and
     each Over-allotment Option, if any, and the consummation of the
     transactions contemplated herein and therein will not conflict with or
     result in a breach or violation of any of the terms or provisions of, or
     constitute a default under, any indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, loan
     agreement or other agreement or instrument to which the Company or any of
     its subsidiaries is a party or by which the Company or any of its
     subsidiaries is bound or to which any of the property or assets of the
     Company or any of its subsidiaries is subject, nor will such action result
     in any violation of the provisions of the Articles of Incorporation,
     By-laws, partnership agreement or limited liability agreement of the
     Company or any of its subsidiaries, as the case may be, or, to the
     knowledge of the Company, any statute or any order, rule or regulation of
     any court or governmental agency or body having jurisdiction over the
     Company, any of its subsidiaries or any of their properties; and no
     consent, approval, authorization, order, registration or qualification of
     or with any such court or governmental agency or body is required for the
     issue and sale of the Shares or the consummation by the Company of the
     transactions contemplated by this Agreement or any Pricing Agreement or any
     Over-allotment Option, except such as have been, or will have been prior to
     each Time of Delivery (as defined in Section 4 hereof), obtained under the
     Act and such consents, approvals, authorizations, registrations or
     qualifications as may be required under state securities or Blue Sky laws
     in connection with the purchase and distribution of the Shares by the
     Underwriters; 

          (j) Other than as set forth in the Prospectus, there are no legal or
     governmental proceedings pending to which the Company or any of its
     subsidiaries is a party or of which any property of the Company or any of
     its subsidiaries is the subject, which, if determined adversely to the
     Company or any of its subsidiaries, would individually or in the aggregate
     reasonably be expected to have a material adverse effect on the current or
     future consolidated financial position, stockholders' equity or results of
     operations of the Company and its subsidiaries; and, to the best of the
     Company's knowledge, no such proceedings are threatened or contemplated by
     governmental authorities or threatened by others;

          (k) Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries is in violation of
     its Articles of Incorporation, By-laws, partnership agreement or limited
     liability company agreement, as the case may be, or in default in the
     performance or observance of any material obligation, agreement, covenant
     or condition contained in any indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, loan
     agreement, lease or other agreement or instrument to which the Company or
     any of its subsidiaries is a party or by which the Company or any of its
     subsidiaries is bound or to which any of the properties or assets of the
     Company or its subsidiaries may be bound which defaults, individually or in
     the aggregate, would reasonably be expected to have a material adverse
     effect on the current or future consolidated financial position,
     stockholders' equity or results of operations of the Company and its
     subsidiaries;

                                   [PAGE  ]
<PAGE>

          (l) The statements set forth in the Prospectus under the captions
     "Description of Stock" and "Description of Series D Preferred Shares",
     insofar as they purport to constitute a summary of the terms of the
     Preferred Stock, and under the caption "Federal Income Tax Considerations,"
     "Certain Federal Income Tax Considerations" and "Plan of Distribution,"
     insofar as they purport to describe the provisions of the laws and
     documents referred to therein, are accurate in all material respects;

          (m) Each of the Company and its subsidiaries is insured (including 
     with respect to title insurance) by insurers of recognized financial
     responsibility against such losses and risks and in such amounts as are
     prudent and customary in the businesses in which they are engaged; and the
     Company has no reason to believe that it or any of its subsidiaries will
     not be able to renew its existing insurance coverage as and when such
     coverage expires or to obtain similar coverage at a reasonable cost from
     similar insurers as may be necessary to continue its businesses;

          (n) Except as otherwise described in the Prospectus, each of the
     Company and its subsidiaries has good and marketable title in fee simple to
     all real property and good title to all personal property owned by it which
     is material to the business of the Company and its subsidiaries, considered
     as a single enterprise, in each case free and clear of all liens, claims,
     encumbrances and defects except such as are described in general in the
     Prospectus or such as do not materially affect the value of such property
     and do not interfere with the use made and proposed to be made of such
     property by the Company or any of its subsidiaries; and any real property
     and buildings held under lease by the Company and any of its subsidiaries
     are held by them under valid, subsisting and enforceable leases with such
     exceptions as are not material and do not interfere with the use made and
     proposed to be made of such property and buildings by the Company or such
     subsidiaries, in each case except as described in or contemplated by the
     Prospectus;

          (o) The mortgages and deeds of trust encumbering the properties and
     assets as owned by the Company described in general in the Prospectus are
     not convertible and none of the Company or any of its subsidiaries holds
     participating interests therein and such mortgages and deeds of trust are
     not cross-defaulted or cross-collateralized to any property not owned by
     the Company or any of its subsidiaries;

          (p) Each of the partnership agreements and limited liability company
     agreements to which any of the Company or its subsidiaries is a party has
     been duly authorized, executed and delivered by such party and constitutes
     the valid agreement thereof, enforceable in accordance with its terms,
     subject, as to enforcement, to bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization and
     other laws of general applicability relating to or affecting creditors'
     rights and to general equity principles; and the execution, delivery and
     performance of any of such agreements did not, at the time of execution and
     delivery, and does not constitute a breach of, or default under, the
     partnership agreement, charter, bylaws or other governing documents of such
     party or any material contract, lease or other instrument to which such
     party is a party or by which its properties may be bound or any law,
     administrative regulation or administrative or court decree which breach or
     default, individually or in the aggregate, would reasonably be expected to
     have a material adverse effect on the current or future consolidated
     financial position, stockholders' equity or results of operations of the
     Company and its subsidiaries; all of the partnership or limited liability
     company interests owned by the Company in each subsidiary of the Company
     have been duly and validly authorized and issued and are 

                                   [PAGE  ]
<PAGE>

     owned directly or indirectly by the Company free and clear of all liens, 
     encumbrances, equities or claims; all of the issued shares of stock of the 
     corporate subsidiaries of the Company have been duly and validly 
     authorized and issued, are fully paid and non-assessable and, to the extent
     owned by the Company, are owned directly or indirectly by the Company free 
     and clear of all liens, encumbrances, equities or claims;

          (q) Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries is or, after 
     giving effect to the offering and sale of the Designated Shares, will be an
     "investment company" within the meaning of the Investment Company Act of
     1940, as amended (the "Investment Company Act");

          (r) Commencing with the Company's taxable year ending December 31,
     1995, the Company has been constituted in conformity with the requirements
     for qualification as a real estate investment trust under the Internal
     Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the "Code"), and the Company's historic
     and proposed methods of operation have enabled and will enable the Company
     to meet the requirements for qualification and taxation as a real estate
     investment trust under the Code;

          (s) The accountants, who have certified certain financial statements
     and supporting schedules included in, or incorporated by reference into,
     the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, are independent public
     accountants as required by the Act and the rules and regulations of the
     Commission thereunder; 

          (t) The financial statements (including the notes thereto) included 
     in, or incorporated by reference into, the Registration Statement and the
     Prospectus present fairly the financial position of the respective entity
     or entities presented therein at the respective dates indicated and the
     results of their operations for the respective periods specified; the
     combined statements of revenue and certain expenses of certain properties
     acquired or to be acquired by the Company included in the Registration
     Statement and Prospectus, together with the related notes, present fairly
     the combined revenues and expenses of such properties at the dates
     indicated; except as otherwise stated in the Registration Statement and the
     Prospectus, said financial statements have been prepared in conformity with
     generally accepted accounting principles applied on a consistent basis; the
     supporting schedules included or incorporated by reference in the
     Registration Statement and the Prospectus present fairly the information
     required to be stated therein, and the Company's ratios of earnings to
     combined fixed charges and preferred stock dividends (actual and, if any,
     pro forma) included in the Prospectus under the captions "Ratio of Earnings
     to Combined Fixed Charges and Preferred Stock Dividends" and in Exhibit 12
     of the Registration Statement have been calculated in compliance with Item
     503(d) of Regulation S-K of the Commission; the financial information and
     data included in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus present
     fairly the information included therein and have been prepared on a basis
     consistent with that of the financial statements included or incorporated
     by reference in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus and the books
     and records of the respective entities presented therein; pro forma
     financial information included in or incorporated by reference in the
     Registration Statement and the Prospectus has been prepared in accordance
     with the applicable requirements of the Act, rules and regulations of the
     Commission under the Act and guidelines of the American Institute of
     Certified Public Accountants with respect to pro forma financial
     information and includes all adjustments necessary to present fairly in all
     material respects the pro forma financial position of the 

                                   [PAGE  ]
<PAGE>

     Company at the respective dates indicated (if such financial position is 
     presented) and the results of operations for the respective periods 
     specified;

          (u) Each of the Company and its subsidiaries has filed all federal,
     state, local and foreign income tax returns which have been required to be
     filed and each such tax return was filed on or prior to the date on which
     such tax return was required to be filed or, in lieu of such timely
     filings, each of the Company or the subsidiaries, as the case may be, has
     duly and timely filed such applications for extension as may be required to
     effect all necessary extensions (such extensions having been obtained and
     remaining in full force and effect) and has paid all taxes shown thereon as
     due and payable and any other assessment, fine or penalty levied against
     it, to the extent that any of the foregoing is due and payable, except, in
     all cases, for any such tax assessment, fine or penalty that is being
     contested in good faith through appropriate proceedings and as to which
     appropriate reserves have been established; 

         (v) (i) Except as disclosed in the Prospectus, each of the Company
     and its subsidiaries has complied and is in compliance in all material
     respects with all Environmental Statutes (as hereinafter defined);

             (ii) None of the Company or any of its subsidiaries has used or
     intends to use the properties or assets described in the Prospectus or any
     other real property for the purpose of handling, burying, storing,
     retaining, refining, transporting, processing, manufacturing, generating,
     producing, spilling, seeping, leaking, escaping, leaching, pumping,
     pouring, emitting, emptying, discharging, injecting, dumping, transferring
     or otherwise disposing of or dealing with Hazardous Materials, except for
     materials utilized in the ordinary course of business of the properties,
     provided such use would not, in the ordinary course of business, give rise
     to any material liability under any Environmental Statute;

             (iii) Except as disclosed in the Prospectus, none of the Company
     or any of its subsidiaries knows (after due inquiry) of any release,
     seepage, leak, escape, leach, discharge, injection, release, emission,
     spill, pumping, pouring, emptying or dumping ("Release") of Hazardous
     Materials (a) into waters on, under or adjacent to the properties described
     in the Prospectus or (b) on any other real property owned or occupied by
     any such party, or (c) onto lands from which Hazardous Materials are likely
     to seep, flow or drain into such waters, except for such Releases as would
     not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a
     material adverse effect on the condition, financial or otherwise, earnings,
     business affairs or business prospects of any of such properties;

             (iv) Except as disclosed in the Prospectus, none of the Company or 
     any of its subsidiaries has received any notice of, or has any knowledge 
     (after due inquiry) of any occurrence or circumstance which, with notice or
     passage of time or both, would give rise to a claim under or pursuant to
     any Environmental Statue or under common law, pertaining to Hazardous
     Materials on or originating from any properties or assets described in the
     Prospectus or any other real property owned or occupied by any such party
     or arising out of the conduct of any such party, except such occurrence or
     circumstance as would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be
     expected to have a material adverse effect on the condition, financial or
     otherwise, earnings, assets, business affairs or business prospects of any
     of such properties; and

                                   [PAGE  ]
<PAGE>

             (v) Neither the properties described in the Prospectus nor any 
     other land owned by the Company or any of its subsidiaries is included or, 
     to the Company's knowledge (after due inquiry), proposed for inclusion on 
     the National Priorities List issued pursuant to CERCLA (as hereinafter 
     defined) by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (the "EPA") 
     or on the inventory of other potential "Problem" sites issued by the EPA 
     and has not otherwise been publicly identified by the EPA as a potential 
     CERCLA site or included or, to the Company's knowledge, except for the 
     property known as Phoenix Plaza III located at 383 N. 28th Avenue, Phoenix,
     Arizona, proposed for inclusion on any list or inventory issued or 
     maintained pursuant to any other Environmental Statute or issued or 
     maintained by any other Governmental Authority (as hereinafter defined).

     As used herein, "Hazardous Material" shall include without limitation 
any flammable explosives, radioactive materials, hazardous materials, 
hazardous wastes, toxic substances, asbestos, medical waste or any hazardous 
material as defined by any Environmental Statute.  As used herein, 
"Environmental Statute" shall include any federal, state or local 
environmental law, ordinance, rule or regulation including without limitation 
the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 
1980, as amended, 42 U.S.C. Sections 9601 ET SEQ. ("CERCLA"), the Hazardous 
Materials Transportation Act, as amended 49 U.S.C. Sections 1801 ET SEQ., 
the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, as amended 42 U.S.C. Sections  
9601 ET SEQ., the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act of 1986, 
42 U.S.C. Sections 11001 ET SEQ., the Toxic Substances Control Act, 15 
U.S.C. Sections 2601 ET SEQ., the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and 
Rodenticide Act, 7 U.S.C. Sections 136 ET SEQ., the Clean Air Act, 42 U.S.C. 
Sections 7401 ET SEQ., the Clean Water Act (Federal Water Pollution Control 
Act), 33 U.S.C. Sections 1251 ET SEQ., the Safe Drinking Water Act, 42 
U.S.C. Sections 300f - 300j-11, and the Occupational Safety and Health Act, 
29 U.S.C. Sections 651 ET SEQ., as any of the above statutes may be amended 
from time to time, and the state analogues to these statutes, and in the 
regulations adopted and publications promulgated pursuant to any of the 
foregoing or by any federal, state or local governmental authority having 
jurisdiction over the properties and assets described in the Prospectus (a 
"Governmental Authority").

     Any certificate signed by any officer of the Company or of any 
subsidiary and delivered to you or to counsel for the Underwriters shall be 
deemed a representation and warranty by the Company or such subsidiary to 
each Underwriter participating in such offering as to the matters covered 
thereby on the date of such certificate.

     3.   Upon the execution of the Pricing Agreement applicable to any 
Designated Shares and authorization by the Representatives of the release of 
the Firm Shares, the several Underwriters propose to offer the Firm Shares 
for sale upon the terms and conditions set forth in the Prospectus as amended 
or supplemented.

     The Company may specify in the Pricing Agreement applicable to any 
Designated Shares that the Company thereby grants to the Underwriters the 
right (an "Overallotment Option") to purchase at their election up to the 
number of Optional Shares set forth in such Pricing Agreement, on the terms 
set forth in the paragraph above, for the sole purpose of covering 
over-allotments in the sale of the Firm Shares.  Any such election to 
purchase Optional Shares may be exercised by written notice from the 
Representatives to the Company, given within a period specified in the 
Pricing Agreement, setting forth the aggregate number of Optional Shares to 
be purchased and the date on which such Optional Shares are to be delivered, 
as determined by the Representatives but in no event earlier than the First 
Time of Delivery (as defined in Section 4 hereof) or, unless the 
Representatives and the Company otherwise agree in writing, earlier than or 
later than the 

                                   [PAGE  ]
<PAGE>

respective number of business days after the date of such 
notice set forth in such Pricing Agreement.

     The number of Optional Shares to be added to the number of Firm Shares 
to be purchased by each Underwriter as set forth in Schedule I to the Pricing 
Agreement applicable to such Designated Shares shall be, in each case, the 
number of Optional Shares which the Company has been advised by the 
Representatives have been attributed to such Underwriter; PROVIDED THAT, if 
the Company has not been so advised, the number of Optional Shares to be so 
added shall be, in each case, that proportion of Optional Shares which the 
number of Firm Shares to be purchased by such Underwriter under such Pricing 
Agreement bears to the aggregate number of Firm Shares (rounded as the 
Representatives may determine to the nearest 100 shares).  The total number 
of Designated Shares to be purchased by all the Underwriters pursuant to such 
Pricing Agreement shall be the aggregate number of Firm Shares set forth in 
Schedule I to such Pricing Agreement plus the aggregate number of Optional 
Shares which the Underwriters elect to purchase.

     4.   Certificates for the Firm Shares and the Optional Shares to be 
purchased by each Underwriter pursuant to the Pricing Agreement relating 
thereto, in the form specified in such Pricing Agreement, and in such 
authorized denominations and registered in such names as the Representatives 
may request upon at least forty-eight hours' prior notice to the Company, 
shall be delivered by or on behalf of the Company to the Representatives for 
the account of such Underwriter, against payment by such Underwriter or on 
its behalf of the purchase price therefor by wire transfer of Federal 
(same-day) funds to the account specified by the Company to Goldman, Sachs & 
Co. at least forty-eight hours in advance as specified in such Pricing 
Agreement, (i) with respect to the Firm Shares, all in the manner and at the 
place and time and date specified in such Pricing Agreement or at such other 
place and time and date as the Representatives and the Company may agree upon 
in writing, such time and date being herein called the "First Time of 
Delivery" and (ii) with respect to the Optional Shares, if any, in the manner 
and at the time and date specified by the Representatives in the written 
notice given by the Representatives of the Underwriters' election to purchase 
such Optional Shares, or at such other time and date as the Representatives 
and the Company may agree upon in writing, such time and date, if not the 
First Time of Delivery, herein called the "Second Time of Delivery".  Each 
such time and date for delivery is herein called a "Time of Delivery".

     5.   The Company agrees with each of the Underwriters of any Designated 
Shares:

          (a) To prepare the Prospectus as amended and supplemented in relation
     to the applicable Designated Shares in a form approved by the
     Representatives and to file such Prospectus pursuant to Rule 424(b) under
     the Act not later than the Commission's close of business on the second
     business day following the execution and delivery of the Pricing Agreement
     relating to the applicable Designated Shares or, if applicable, such
     earlier time as may be required by Rule 424(b); to make no further
     amendment or any supplement to the Registration Statement or Prospectus as
     amended or supplemented after the date of the Pricing Agreement relating to
     such Shares and prior to any Time of Delivery for such Shares which shall
     be disapproved by the Representatives for such Shares promptly after
     reasonable notice thereof; to advise the Representatives promptly of any
     such amendment or supplement after any Time of Delivery for such Shares and
     furnish the Representatives with copies thereof; to file promptly all
     reports and any definitive proxy or information statements required to be
     filed by the Company with the Commission pursuant to Sections 13(a), 13(c),
     14 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act for so long as the delivery of a prospectus
     is required in connection with the offering or sale of 

                                   [PAGE  ]
<PAGE>

     such Shares, and during such same period to advise the Representatives, 
     promptly after it receives notice thereof, of the time when any amendment 
     to the Registration Statement has been filed or becomes effective or any 
     supplement to the Prospectus or any amended Prospectus has been filed with 
     the Commission, of the issuance by the Commission of any stop order or of 
     any order preventing or suspending the use of any prospectus relating to 
     the Shares, of the suspension of the qualification of such Shares for 
     offering or sale in any jurisdiction, of the initiation or threatening of 
     any proceeding for any such purpose, or of any request by the Commission 
     for the amending or supplementing of the Registration Statement or 
     Prospectus or for additional information; and, in the event of the issuance
     of any such stop order or of any such order preventing or suspending the 
     use of any prospectus relating to the Shares or suspending any such 
     qualification, promptly to use its best efforts to obtain the withdrawal 
     of such order;

          (b) Promptly from time to time to take such action as the
     Representatives may reasonably request to qualify such Shares for offering
     and sale under the securities laws of such jurisdictions as the
     Representatives may request and to comply with such laws so as to permit
     the continuance of sales and dealings therein in such jurisdictions for as
     long as may be necessary to complete the distribution of such Shares,
     provided that in connection therewith the Company shall not be required to
     qualify as a foreign corporation or to file a general consent to service of
     process in any jurisdiction;

          (c) Prior to 10:00 A.M., New York City time, on the New York Business
     Day next succeeding the date of this Agreement and from time to time, to
     furnish the Underwriters with copies of the Prospectus in New York City as
     amended or supplemented in such quantities as the Representatives may
     reasonably request, and, if the delivery of a prospectus is required at any
     time in connection with the offering or sale of the Shares and if at such
     time any event shall have occurred as a result of which the Prospectus as
     then amended or supplemented would include an untrue statement of a
     material fact or omit to state any material fact necessary in order to make
     the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they
     were made when such Prospectus is delivered, not misleading, or, if for any
     other reason it shall be necessary during such same period to amend or
     supplement the Prospectus or to file under the Exchange Act any document
     incorporated by reference in the Prospectus in order to comply with the Act
     or the Exchange Act, to notify the Representatives and upon their request
     to file such document and to prepare and furnish without charge to each
     Underwriter and to any dealer in securities as many copies as the
     Representatives may from time to time reasonably request of an amended
     Prospectus or a supplement to the Prospectus which will correct such
     statement or omission or effect such compliance;

          (d) To make generally available to its security holders as soon as
     practicable, but in any event not later than eighteen months after the
     effective date of the Registration Statement (as defined in Rule 158(c)
     under the Act), an earnings statement of the Company and its subsidiaries
     (which need not be audited) complying with Section 11(a) of the Act and the
     rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder (including, at the
     option of the Company, Rule 158); 

          (e) During the period beginning from the date of the Pricing 
     Agreement for such Designated Shares and continuing to and including the 
     later of (i) the termination of trading restrictions for such Designated 
     Shares, as notified to the Company by the Representatives and (ii) the 

                                   [PAGE  ]
<PAGE>

     last Time of Delivery for such Designated Shares, not to offer, sell, 
     contract to sell or otherwise dispose of, except as provided hereunder, 
     any securities of the Company that are substantially similar to the 
     Designated Shares, including but not limited to any securities that are 
     convertible into or exchangeable for, or that represent the right to 
     receive, Shares or any such substantially similar securities (other than 
     pursuant to employee stock option plans existing on, or upon the 
     conversion of convertible or exchangeable securities outstanding as of, 
     the date of the Pricing Agreement for such Designated Shares) without the 
     prior written consent of the Representatives; 

          (f) If the Company elects to rely upon Rule 462(b), the Company shall
     file a Rule 462(b) Registration Statement with the Commission in compliance
     with Rule 462(b) by 10:00 P.M., Washington, D.C. time, on the date of this
     Agreement, and the Company shall at the time of filing either pay to the
     Commission the filing fee for the Rule 462(b) Registration Statement or
     give irrevocable instructions for the payment of such fee pursuant to Rule
     111(b) under the Act; and

          (g) That it will file an application to list the Designated Shares on
     the New York Stock Exchange (the "Exchange") promptly after the date hereof
     and will use its best efforts to list the Designated Shares on the Exchange
     as promptly as practicable thereafter.

     6.   The Company covenants and agrees with the several Underwriters that 
the Company will pay or cause to be paid the following: (i) the fees, 
disbursements and expenses of the Company's counsel and accountants in 
connection with the registration of the Shares under the Act and all other 
expenses in connection with the preparation, printing and filing of the 
Registration Statement, any Preliminary Prospectus and the Prospectus and 
amendments and supplements thereto and the mailing and delivering of copies 
thereof to the Underwriters and dealers; (ii) the cost of printing or 
producing any Agreement among Underwriters, this Agreement, any Pricing 
Agreement, any Blue Sky Memorandum, closing documents (including any 
compilations thereof) and any other documents in connection with the 
offering, purchase, sale and delivery of the Shares; (iii) all expenses in 
connection with the qualification of the Shares for offering and sale under 
state securities laws as provided in Section 5(b) hereof, including the fees 
and disbursements of counsel for the Underwriters in connection with such 
qualification and in connection with the Blue Sky survey(s); (iv) any fees 
charged by securities rating services for rating the Shares; (v) any filing 
fees incident to, and the fees and disbursements of counsel for the 
Underwriters in connection with, any required reviews by the National 
Association of Securities Dealers, Inc. of the terms of the sale of the 
Shares; (vi) any fees and expenses in connection with listing the Shares; 
(vii) the cost of preparing certificates for the Shares; (viii) the cost and 
charges of any transfer agent or registrar or dividend disbursing agent; and 
(ix) all other costs and expenses incident to the performance of its 
obligations hereunder and under any Over-allotment Options which are not 
otherwise specifically provided for in this Section. It is understood, 
however, that, except as provided in this Section, and Sections 8 and 11 
hereof, the Underwriters will pay all of their own costs and expenses, 
including the fees of their counsel, transfer taxes on resale of any of the 
Shares by them, and any advertising expenses connected with any offers they 
may make.

     7.   The obligations of the Underwriters of any Designated Shares under 
the Pricing Agreement relating to such Designated Shares shall be subject, in 
the discretion of the Representatives, to the condition that all 
representations and warranties and other statements of the Company in or 
incorporated by reference in the Pricing Agreement relating to such 
Designated Shares are, at and as of each Time of Delivery for such Designated 
Shares, true and correct, the 

                                   [PAGE  ]
<PAGE>

condition that the Company shall have performed all of its obligations 
hereunder theretofore to be performed, and the following additional 
conditions:

          (a) The Prospectus as amended or supplemented in relation to such
     Designated Shares shall have been filed with the Commission pursuant to
     Rule 424(b) within the applicable time period prescribed for such filing by
     the rules and regulations under the Act and in accordance with Section 5(a)
     hereof; if the Company has elected to rely upon Rule 462(b), the Rule
     462(b) Registration Statement shall have become effective by 10:00 P.M.,
     Washington, D.C. time, on the date of this Agreement; no stop order
     suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or any part
     thereof shall have been issued and no proceeding for that purpose shall
     have been initiated or threatened by the Commission; and all requests for
     additional information on the part of the Commission shall have been
     complied with to the Representatives' reasonable satisfaction;

          (b) Hogan & Hartson L.L.P., counsel for the Underwriters, shall have
     furnished to the Representatives such written opinion or opinions, dated
     each Time of Delivery for such Designated Shares, with respect to the
     incorporation of the Company, this Agreement and the Pricing Agreement with
     respect to the Designated Shares, the validity of the Designated Shares,
     the Registration Statement, the Prospectus and such other related matters
     as the Representatives may reasonably request, and such counsel shall have
     received such papers and information as they may reasonably request to
     enable them to pass upon such matters;

          (c) Vinson & Elkins L.L.P., counsel for the Company or Ballard Spahr
     Andrews & Ingersoll, LLP, Maryland counsel for the Company with respect to
     issues of Maryland law, shall have furnished to the Representatives their
     written opinions (a draft of each such opinion is attached as Annex II(b)
     hereto), dated each Time of Delivery for such Designated Shares,
     respectively, in form and substance satisfactory to the Representatives, to
     the effect that:

              (i)   Each of the Company and its subsidiaries has been duly 
          incorporated or formed and is validly existing as a corporation, 
          limited partnership or limited liability company, as the case may be, 
          in good standing under the laws of the jurisdiction of its 
          incorporation or formation, with power (corporate or other) to own, 
          lease and operate its properties and conduct its business 
          substantially as described in the Prospectus under the caption "The 
          Company" as amended or supplemented;

              (ii)  The Company has an authorized capitalization as set forth 
          in the Prospectus under the caption "Capitalization" as amended or 
          supplemented, and all of the issued shares of stock of the Company 
          (including the Designated Shares being delivered at such Time of 
          Delivery) have been duly and validly authorized and issued and are 
          fully paid and non-assessable; the Designated Shares conform in all 
          material respects to the description contained in the Prospectus under
          the caption "Description of Series D Preferred Shares" as amended or 
          supplemented; and the applicable Articles Supplementary are in full 
          force and effect;

              (iii) Each of the Company and its subsidiaries is authorized to 
          transact business as a foreign corporation, partnership or limited 
          liability company, as the case may be, in each jurisdiction where such
          entity maintains an office or owns or manages its properties except 
          where the failure to be so qualified, individually or 

                                   [PAGE  ]
<PAGE>

          in the aggregate, would not reasonably be expected to have a material 
          adverse effect on the current or future consolidated financial 
          position, stockholders' equity or results of operations of the Company
          and its subsidiaries;

              (iv)   To the best of such counsel's knowledge and other than as 
          set forth in the Prospectus, there are no legal or governmental 
          proceedings pending to which the Company or any of its subsidiaries is
          a party or of which any property of the Company or any of its 
          subsidiaries is the subject which, if determined adversely to the 
          Company or any of its subsidiaries, would, individually or in the 
          aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a material adverse effect 
          on the current or future consolidated financial position, 
          stockholders' equity or results of operations of the Company and its 
          subsidiaries; and to the best of such counsel's knowledge, no such
          proceedings are threatened or contemplated by governmental authorities
          or threatened by others;

              (v)    This Agreement and the Pricing Agreement with respect to 
          the Designated Shares have been duly authorized, executed and 
          delivered by the Company;

              (vi)   The issue and sale of the Designated Shares being delivered
          at such Time of Delivery and the compliance by the Company with all of
          the provisions of this Agreement and the Pricing Agreement with 
          respect to the Designated Shares and the consummation of the 
          transactions herein and therein contemplated will not conflict with 
          or result in a breach or violation of any of the terms or provisions 
          of, or constitute a default under, any indenture, mortgage, deed of 
          trust, loan agreement or other agreement or instrument known to such 
          counsel to which the Company or any of its subsidiaries is a party or 
          by which the Company is bound or to which any of the property or 
          assets of the Company or any of its subsidiaries is subject, nor will 
          such action result in any violation of the provisions of the Articles 
          of Incorporation or By-laws of the Company or any statute or any 
          order, rule or regulation known to such counsel of any court or 
          governmental agency or body having jurisdiction over the Company or 
          any of its subsidiaries or any of its properties;

              (vii)  No consent, approval, authorization, order, registration or
          qualification of or with any such court or governmental agency or body
          is required for the issue and sale of the Designated Shares being 
          delivered at such Time of Delivery or the consummation by the Company 
          of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement or such Pricing 
          Agreement, except such as have been obtained under the Act and such 
          consents, approvals, authorizations, registrations or qualifications 
          as may be required under state securities or Blue Sky laws in 
          connection with the purchase and distribution of the Designated Shares
          by the Underwriters;

              (viii) Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries is in 
          violation of its Articles of Incorporation, By-laws, limited 
          partnership agreement or limited liability agreement, as the case may 
          be, or, to the knowledge of such counsel, in default in the 
          performance or observance of any material obligation, agreement, 
          covenant or condition contained in any indenture, mortgage, deed of 
          trust, loan agreement, lease or other agreement or instrument filed 
          or incorporated by reference as an exhibit to the Registration 
          Statement;

                                   [PAGE  ]
<PAGE>

              (ix)   The statements set forth in the Prospectus under the 
          captions "Description of Stock" and "Description of Series D Preferred
          Shares," insofar as they purport to constitute a summary of the terms 
          of the Preferred Stock and the Shares, and under the captions "Federal
          Income Tax Considerations," "Certain Federal Income Tax 
          Considerations" and "Plan of Distribution," insofar as they purport 
          to describe the provisions of the laws and documents referred to 
          therein, are correct in all material respects;

              (xiii) Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries is or, 
          after giving effect to the offering and sale of the Securities, will 
          be an "investment company" within the meaning of the Investment 
          Company Act;

              (i)    The documents incorporated by reference in the Prospectus 
          as amended or supplemented (other than the financial statements and 
          related schedules therein, as to which such counsel need express no 
          opinion), when they became effective or were filed with the 
          Commission, as the case may be, complied as to form in all material 
          respects with the requirements of the Act or the Exchange Act, as 
          applicable, and the rules and regulations of the Commission 
          thereunder; and they have no reason to believe that any of such 
          documents, when they became effective or were so filed, as the case
          may be, contained, in the case of a registration statement which 
          became effective under the Act, an untrue statement of a material fact
          or omitted to state a material fact required to be stated therein or 
          necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, or, in the 
          case of other documents which were filed under the Act or the Exchange
          Act with the Commission, an untrue statement of a material fact or 
          omitted to state a material fact necessary in order to make the 
          statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they
          were made when such documents were so filed, not misleading; 

              (xiii) The Registration Statement is effective under the Act and, 
          to such counsel's knowledge and information, no stop order suspending 
          the effectiveness of the Registration Statement has been issued under 
          the Act or proceedings therefor initiated or threatened by the 
          Commission;

              (xiv)  Commencing with the Company's taxable year ending December 
          31, 1995, the Company is organized in conformity with the requirements
          for qualification as a real estate investment trust ("REIT"), and its 
          proposed assets, organization and method of operation will enable it 
          to meet the requirements for qualification and taxation as a REIT 
          under the Code;

              (i)    The Registration Statement and the Prospectus as amended or
          supplemented, and any further amendments and supplements thereto made 
          by the Company prior to such Time of Delivery (other than the 
          financial statements and related schedules therein, as to which such 
          counsel need express no opinion), comply as to form in all material 
          respects with the requirements of the Act and the rules and 
          regulations thereunder; although they do not assume any responsibility
          for the accuracy, completeness or fairness of the statements contained
          in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus, except for those 
          referred to in the opinion in subsection (ix) of this Section 7(c), 
          they have no reason to believe that, as of its effective date, the 
          Registration Statement or any further amendment thereto made by the 
          Company prior to such Time of Delivery (other than the

                                   [PAGE  ]
<PAGE>

          financial statements and related schedules therein, as to which such
          counsel need express no opinion) contained an untrue statement of a
          material fact or omitted to state a material fact required to be 
          stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not 
          misleading or that, as of its date, the Prospectus as amended or 
          supplemented or any further amendment or supplement thereto made by 
          the Company prior to such Time of Delivery (other than the financial 
          statements and related schedules therein, as to which such counsel 
          need express no opinion) contained an untrue statement of a material 
          fact or omitted to state a material fact necessary to make the 
          statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they
          were made, not misleading or that, as of such Time of Delivery, either
          the Registration Statement or the Prospectus as amended or 
          supplemented or any further amendment or supplement thereto made by 
          the Company prior to such Time of Delivery (other than the financial 
          statements and related schedules therein, as to which such counsel 
          need express no opinion) contains an untrue statement of a material 
          fact or omits to state a material fact necessary to make the 
          statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they
          were made, not misleading; and they do not know of any amendment to 
          the Registration Statement required to be filed or any contracts or 
          other documents of a character required to be filed as an exhibit to 
          the Registration Statement or required to be incorporated by reference
          into the Prospectus as amended or supplemented or required to be 
          described in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus as amended 
          or supplemented which are not filed or incorporated by reference or
          described as required;

         (d)   On the date of the Pricing Agreement for such Designated Shares,
     at a time prior to the execution of the Pricing Agreement with respect to
     the Designated Shares and at each Time of Delivery for such Designated
     Shares, the independent accountants of the Company who have certified the
     financial statements of the Company and its subsidiaries included or
     incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement shall have
     furnished to the Representatives a letter, dated the effective date of the
     Registration Statement or the date of the most recent report filed with the
     Commission containing financial statements and incorporated by reference in
     the Registration Statement, if the date of such report is later than such
     effective date, and a letter dated such Time of Delivery, respectively, to
     the effect set forth in Annex II hereto, and with respect to such letter
     dated such Time of Delivery, as to such other matters as the
     Representatives may reasonably request and in form and substance
     satisfactory to the Representatives (the executed copy of the letter
     delivered prior to the execution of this Agreement is attached as Annex
     I(a) hereto and a draft of the form of letter to be delivered on the
     effective date of any post-effective amendment to the Registration
     Statement and as of each Time of Delivery is attached as Annex I(b)
     hereto);

         (e)   (i) Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries shall have
     sustained since the date of the latest audited financial statements
     included or incorporated by reference in the Prospectus as amended prior to
     the date of the Pricing Agreement relating to the Designated Shares any
     loss or interference with its business from fire, explosion, flood or other
     calamity, whether or not covered by insurance, or from any labor dispute or
     court or governmental action, order or decree, otherwise than as set forth
     or contemplated in the Prospectus as amended prior to the date of the
     Pricing Agreement relating to the Designated Shares, and (ii) since the
     respective dates as of which information is given in the Prospectus as
     amended prior to the date of the Pricing Agreement relating to the

                                   [PAGE  ]
<PAGE>

     Designated Shares there shall not have been any change in the stock or
     long-term debt of the Company or any of its subsidiaries or any change, or
     any development involving a prospective change, in or affecting the general
     affairs, management, financial position, stockholders' equity or results of
     operations of the Company and its subsidiaries, otherwise than as set forth
     or contemplated in the Prospectus as amended prior to the date of the
     Pricing Agreement relating to the Designated Shares, the effect of which,
     in any such case described in Clause (i) or (ii), is in the judgment of the
     Representatives so material and adverse as to make it impracticable or
     inadvisable to proceed with the public offering or the delivery of the
     Designated Shares on the terms and in the manner contemplated in the
     Prospectus as amended relating to the Designated Shares;

         (f)   On or after the date of the Pricing Agreement relating to the
     Designated Shares (i) no downgrading shall have occurred in the rating
     accorded the Company's debt securities or preferred stock by any
     "nationally recognized statistical rating organization", as that term is
     defined by the Commission for purposes of Rule 436(g)(2) under the Act, and
     (ii) no such organization shall have publicly announced that it has under
     surveillance or review, with possible negative implications, its rating of
     any of the Company's debt securities or preferred stock;

         (g)   On or after the date of the Pricing Agreement relating to the
     Designated Shares there shall not have occurred any of the following: (i) a
     suspension or material limitation in trading in securities generally on the
     Exchange; (ii) a suspension or material limitation in trading in the
     Company's securities on the Exchange; (iii) a general moratorium on
     commercial banking activities declared by either Federal or New York or
     Washington, D.C. State authorities; or (iv) the outbreak or escalation of
     hostilities involving the United States or the declaration by the United
     States of a national emergency or war, if the effect of any such event
     specified in this Clause (iv) in the judgment of the Representatives makes
     it impracticable or inadvisable to proceed with the public offering or the
     delivery of the Firm Shares or Optional Shares or both on the terms and in
     the manner contemplated in the Prospectus as first amended or supplemented
     relating to the Designated Shares;

         (h)   An application to list the Shares on the Exchange shall have been
     filed prior to the Time of Delivery;

         (i)   The Company shall have complied with the provisions of Section
     5(c) hereof with respect to the furnishing of prospectuses on the New York
     Business Day next succeeding the date of this Agreement; and

         (j)   The Company shall have furnished or caused to be furnished to the
     Representatives at each Time of Delivery for the Designated Shares
     certificates of officers of the Company satisfactory to the Representatives
     as to the accuracy of the representations and warranties of the Company
     herein at and as of such Time of Delivery, as to the performance by the
     Company of all of its obligations hereunder to be performed at or prior to
     such Time of Delivery, as to the matters set forth in subsections (a) and
     (e) of this Section and as to such other matters as the Representatives may
     reasonably request.

     8.   (a)  The Company will indemnify and hold harmless each Underwriter 
and each person, if any, who controls any Underwriter within the meaning of 
Section 15 of the Act or Section 

                                   [PAGE  ]
<PAGE>

20(a) of the Exchange Act against any losses, claims, damages or liabilities, 
joint or several, to which such Underwriter may become subject, under the Act 
or otherwise, insofar as such losses, claims, damages or liabilities (or 
actions in respect thereof) arise out of or are based upon an untrue 
statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in any 
Preliminary Prospectus, any preliminary prospectus supplement, the 
Registration Statement, the Prospectus as amended or supplemented and any 
other prospectus relating to the Shares, or any amendment or supplement 
thereto, or arise out of or are based upon the omission or alleged omission 
to state therein a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary 
to make the statements therein not misleading, and will reimburse each 
Underwriter for any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred by such 
Underwriter in connection with investigating or defending any such action or 
claim as such expenses are incurred; PROVIDED, HOWEVER, that the Company 
shall not be liable in any such case to the extent that any such loss, claim, 
damage or liability arises out of or is based upon an untrue statement or 
alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission made in any 
Preliminary Prospectus, any preliminary prospectus supplement, the 
Registration Statement, the Prospectus as amended or supplemented and any 
other prospectus relating to the Shares, or any such amendment or supplement 
in reliance upon and in conformity with written information furnished to the 
Company by any Underwriter of Designated Shares through the Representatives 
expressly for use in the Prospectus as amended or supplemented relating to 
such Shares.

     (b)  Each Underwriter will indemnify and hold harmless the Company, each 
of the directors of the Company, each of the officers of the Company who 
shall have signed the Registration Statement and each other person, if any, 
who controls the Company within the meaning of Section 15 of the Act or 
Section 20(a) of the Exchange Act, against any losses, claims, damages or 
liabilities to which the Company may become subject, under the Act or 
otherwise, insofar as such losses, claims, damages or liabilities (or actions 
in respect thereof) arise out of or are based upon an untrue statement or 
alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in any Preliminary 
Prospectus, any preliminary prospectus supplement, the Registration 
Statement, the Prospectus as amended or supplemented and any other prospectus 
relating to the Shares, or any amendment or supplement thereto, or arise out 
of or are based upon the omission or alleged omission to state therein a 
material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the 
statements therein not misleading, in each case to the extent, but only to 
the extent, that such untrue statement or alleged untrue statement or 
omission or alleged omission was made in any Preliminary Prospectus, any 
preliminary prospectus supplement, the Registration Statement, the Prospectus 
as amended or supplemented and any other prospectus relating to the Shares, 
or any such amendment or supplement in reliance upon and in conformity with 
written information furnished to the Company by such Underwriter through the 
Representatives expressly for use therein; and will reimburse the Company for 
any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred by the Company in connection 
with investigating or defending any such action or claim as such expenses are 
incurred.

     (c)  Promptly after receipt by an indemnified party under subsection (a) 
or (b) above of notice of the commencement of any action, such indemnified 
party shall, if a claim in respect thereof is to be made against the 
indemnifying party under such subsection, notify the indemnifying party in 
writing of the commencement thereof; but the omission so to notify the 
indemnifying party shall not relieve it from any liability which it may have 
to any indemnified party otherwise than under such subsection.  In case any 
such action shall be brought against any indemnified party and it shall 
notify the indemnifying party of the commencement thereof, the indemnifying 
party shall be entitled to participate therein and, to the extent that it 
shall wish, jointly with any other indemnifying party similarly notified, to 
assume the defense thereof, with counsel satisfactory to such indemnified 
party (who shall not, except with the consent of the indemnified party, be 
counsel 

                                   [PAGE  ]
<PAGE>

to the indemnifying party), and, after notice from the indemnifying party to 
such indemnified party of its election so to assume the defense thereof, the 
indemnifying party shall not be liable to such indemnified party under such 
subsection for any legal expenses of other counsel or any other expenses, in 
each case subsequently incurred by such indemnified party, in connection with 
the defense thereof other than reasonable costs of investigation.  No 
indemnifying party shall, without the written consent of the indemnified 
party, effect the settlement or compromise of, or consent to the entry of any 
judgment with respect to, any pending or threatened action or claim in 
respect of which indemnification or contribution may be sought hereunder 
(whether or not the indemnified party is an actual or potential party to such 
action or claim) unless such settlement, compromise or judgment (i) includes 
an unconditional release of the indemnified party from all liability arising 
out of such action or claim and (ii) does not include any statement as to, or 
an admission of, fault, culpability or a failure to act, by or on behalf of 
any indemnified party.

     (d)  If the indemnification provided for in this Section 8 is 
unavailable to or insufficient to hold harmless an indemnified party under 
subsection (a) or (b) above in respect of any losses, claims, damages or 
liabilities (or actions in respect thereof) referred to therein, then each 
indemnifying party shall contribute to the amount paid or payable by such 
indemnified party as a result of such losses, claims, damages or liabilities 
(or actions in respect thereof) in such proportion as is appropriate to 
reflect the relative benefits received by the Company on the one hand and the 
Underwriters of the Designated Shares on the other from the offering of the 
Designated Shares to which such loss, claim, damage or liability (or action 
in respect thereof) relates.  If, however, the allocation provided by the 
immediately preceding sentence is not permitted by applicable law or if the 
indemnified party failed to give the notice required under subsection (c) 
above, then each indemnifying party shall contribute to such amount paid or 
payable by such indemnified party in such proportion as is appropriate to 
reflect not only such relative benefits but also the relative fault of the 
Company on the one hand and the Underwriters of the Designated Shares on the 
other in connection with the statements or omissions which resulted in such 
losses, claims, damages or liabilities (or actions in respect thereof), as 
well as any other relevant equitable considerations.  The relative benefits 
received by the Company on the one hand and such Underwriters on the other 
shall be deemed to be in the same proportion as the total net proceeds from 
such offering (before deducting expenses) received by the Company bear to the 
total underwriting discounts and commissions received by such Underwriters. 
The relative fault shall be determined by reference to, among other things, 
whether the untrue or alleged untrue statement of a material fact or the 
omission or alleged omission to state a material fact relates to information 
supplied by the Company on the one hand or such Underwriters on the other and 
the parties' relative intent, knowledge, access to information and 
opportunity to correct or prevent such statement or omission.  The Company 
and the Underwriters agree that it would not be just and equitable if 
contributions pursuant to this subsection (d) were determined by PRO RATA 
allocation (even if the Underwriters were treated as one entity for such 
purpose) or by any other method of allocation which does not take account of 
the equitable considerations referred to above in this subsection (d).  The 
amount paid or payable by an indemnified party as a result of the losses, 
claims, damages or liabilities (or actions in respect thereof) referred to 
above in this subsection (d) shall be deemed to include any legal or other 
expenses reasonably incurred by such indemnified party in connection with 
investigating or defending any such action or claim.  Notwithstanding the 
provisions of this subsection (d), no Underwriter shall be required to 
contribute any amount in excess of the amount by which the total price at 
which the applicable Designated Shares underwritten by it and distributed to 
the public were offered to the public exceeds the amount of any damages which 
such Underwriter has otherwise been required to pay by reason of such untrue 
or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission.  No person 
guilty of fraudulent 

                                   [PAGE  ]
<PAGE>

misrepresentation (within the meaning of Section 11(f) of the Act) shall be 
entitled to contribution from any person who was not guilty of such 
fraudulent misrepresentation.  The obligations of the Underwriters of 
Designated Shares in this subsection (d) to contribute are several in 
proportion to their respective underwriting obligations with respect to such 
Shares and not joint.

     (e)  The obligations of the Company under this Section 8 shall be in 
addition to any liability which the Company may otherwise have and shall 
extend, upon the same terms and conditions, to each person, if any, who 
controls any Underwriter within the meaning of the Act; and the obligations 
of the Underwriters under this Section 8 shall be in addition to any 
liability which the respective Underwriters may otherwise have and shall 
extend, upon the same terms and conditions, to each officer and director of 
the Company and to each person, if any, who controls the Company within the 
meaning of the Act.

     9.   (a)  If any Underwriter shall default in its obligation to purchase 
the Firm Shares or Optional Shares which it has agreed to purchase under the 
Pricing Agreement relating to such Shares, the Representatives may in their 
discretion arrange for themselves or another party or other parties to 
purchase such Shares on the terms contained herein.  If within thirty-six 
hours after such default by any Underwriter the Representatives do not 
arrange for the purchase of such Firm Shares or Optional Shares, as the case 
may be, then the Company shall be entitled to a further period of thirty-six 
hours within which to procure another party or other parties satisfactory to 
the Representatives to purchase such Shares on such terms.  In the event 
that, within the respective prescribed period, the Representatives notify the 
Company that they have so arranged for the purchase of such Shares, or the 
Company notifies the Representatives that it has so arranged for the purchase 
of such Shares, the Representatives or the Company shall have the right to 
postpone a Time of Delivery for such Shares for a period of not more than 
seven days, in order to effect whatever changes may thereby be made necessary 
in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus as amended or supplemented, 
or in any other documents or arrangements, and the Company agrees to file 
promptly any amendments or supplements to the Registration Statement or the 
Prospectus which in the opinion of the Representatives may thereby be made 
necessary.  The term "Underwriter" as used in this Agreement shall include 
any person substituted under this Section with like effect as if such person 
had originally been a party to the Pricing Agreement with respect to such 
Designated Shares.

     (b)  If, after giving effect to any arrangements for the purchase of the 
Firm Shares or Optional Shares, as the case may be, of a defaulting 
Underwriter or Underwriters by the Representatives and the Company as 
provided in subsection (a) above, the aggregate number of such Shares which 
remains unpurchased does not exceed one-eleventh of the aggregate number of 
the Firm Shares or Optional Shares, as the case may be, to be purchased at 
the respective Time of Delivery, then the Company shall have the right to 
require each non-defaulting Underwriter to purchase the number of Firm Shares 
or Optional Shares, as the case may be, which such Underwriter agreed to 
purchase under the Pricing Agreement relating to such Designated Shares and, 
in addition, to require each non-defaulting Underwriter to purchase its pro 
rata share (based on the number of Firm Shares or Optional Shares, as the 
case may be, which such Underwriter agreed to purchase under such Pricing 
Agreement) of the Firm Shares or Optional Shares, as the case may be, of such 
defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters for which such arrangements have not 
been made; but nothing herein shall relieve a defaulting Underwriter from 
liability for its default.

     (c)  If, after giving effect to any arrangements for the purchase of the 
Firm Shares or Optional Shares, as the case may be, of a defaulting 
Underwriter or Underwriters by the Representatives and the Company as 
provided in subsection (a) above, the aggregate number of Firm Shares or 
Optional Shares, as the case may be, which remains unpurchased exceeds 

                                   [PAGE  ]
<PAGE>

one-eleventh of the aggregate number of the Firm Shares or Optional Shares, 
as the case may be, to be purchased at the respective Time of Delivery, as 
referred to in subsection (b) above, or if the Company shall not exercise the 
right described in subsection (b) above to require non-defaulting 
Underwriters to purchase Firm Shares or Optional Shares, as the case may be, 
of a defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters, then the Pricing Agreement 
relating to such Firm Shares or the Over-allotment Option relating to such 
Optional Shares, as the case may be, shall thereupon terminate, without 
liability on the part of any non-defaulting Underwriter or the Company, 
except for the expenses to be borne by the Company and the Underwriters as 
provided in Section 6 hereof and the indemnity and contribution agreements in 
Section 8 hereof; but nothing herein shall relieve a defaulting Underwriter 
from liability for its default.

     10.  The respective indemnities, agreements, representations, warranties 
and other statements of the Company and the several Underwriters, as set 
forth in this Agreement or made by or on behalf of them, respectively, 
pursuant to this Agreement, shall remain in full force and effect, regardless 
of any investigation (or any statement as to the results thereof) made by or 
on behalf of any Underwriter or any controlling person of any Underwriter, or 
the Company, or any officer or director or controlling person of the Company, 
and shall survive delivery of and payment for the Shares.

     11.  If any Pricing Agreement or Over-allotment Option shall be 
terminated pursuant to Section 9 hereof, the Company shall not then be under 
any liability to any Underwriter with respect to the Firm Shares or Optional 
Shares with respect to which such Pricing Agreement shall have been 
terminated except as provided in Sections 6 and 8 hereof; but, if for any 
other reason, Designated Shares are not delivered by or on behalf of the 
Company as provided herein, the Company will reimburse the Underwriters 
through the Representatives for all out-of-pocket expenses approved in 
writing by the Representatives, including fees and disbursements of counsel, 
reasonably incurred by the Underwriters in making preparations for the 
purchase, sale and delivery of such Designated Shares, but the Company shall 
then be under no further liability to any Underwriter with respect to such 
Designated Shares except as provided in Sections 6 and 8 hereof.

     12.  In all dealings hereunder, the Representatives of the Underwriters 
of Designated Shares shall act on behalf of each of such Underwriters, and 
the parties hereto shall be entitled to act and rely upon any statement, 
request, notice or agreement on behalf of any Underwriter made or given by 
such Representatives jointly or by such of the Representatives, if any, as 
may be designated for such purpose in the Pricing Agreement.

     All statements, requests, notices and agreements hereunder shall be in 
writing, and if to the Underwriters shall be delivered or sent by mail, telex 
or facsimile transmission to the address of the Representatives as set forth 
in the Pricing Agreement; and if to the Company shall be delivered or sent by 
mail, telex or facsimile transmission to the address of the Company set forth 
in the Registration Statement, Attention: Secretary; provided, however, that 
any notice to an Underwriter pursuant to Section 8(c) hereof shall be 
delivered or sent by mail, telex or facsimile transmission to such 
Underwriter at its address set forth in its Underwriters' Questionnaire, or 
telex constituting such Questionnaire, which address will be supplied to the 
Company by the Representatives upon request.  Any such statements, requests, 
notices or agreements shall take effect upon receipt thereof.

     13.  This Agreement and each Pricing Agreement shall be binding upon, 
and inure solely to the benefit of, the Underwriters, the Company and, to the 
extent provided in Sections 8 and 10 hereof, the officers and directors of 
the Company and each person who controls the 

                                   [PAGE  ]
<PAGE>

Company or any Underwriter, and their respective heirs, executors, 
administrators, successors and assigns, and no other person shall acquire or 
have any right under or by virtue of this Agreement or any such Pricing 
Agreement.  No purchaser of any of the Shares from any Underwriter shall be 
deemed a successor or assign by reason merely of such purchase.

     14.  Time shall be of the essence of each Pricing Agreement.  As used 
herein, the term "business day" shall mean any day when the Commission's 
office in Washington, D.C. is open for business.

     15.  THIS AGREEMENT AND EACH PRICING AGREEMENT SHALL BE GOVERNED BY AND 
CONSTRUED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE LAWS OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK.

     16.  This Agreement and each Pricing Agreement may be executed by any 
one or more of the parties hereto and thereto in any number of counterparts, 
each of which shall be deemed to be an original, but all such respective 
counterparts shall together constitute one and the same instrument.













                                   [PAGE  ]
<PAGE>

     If the foregoing is in accordance with your understanding, please sign 
and return to us nine counterparts hereof.
                                   

                                       Very truly yours,

                                       Meridian Industrial Trust, Inc.
               
               
                                       By:  /s/ Milton K. Reeder
                                          -------------------------------------
                                          Name: Milton K. Reeder
                                          Title: President

Accepted as of the date hereof:

Goldman, Sachs & Co.


By: /s/ Andrew Jonas
   ----------------------------
       Goldman, Sachs & Co.


<PAGE>

                                                                        ANNEX I
                                       
                              PRICING AGREEMENT

Goldman, Sachs & Co.,
[NAMES OF CO-REPRESENTATIVES]
  As Representatives of the several
   Underwriters named in Schedule I hereto,
c/o Goldman, Sachs & Co.,
85 Broad Street,
New York, New York 10004.
                                                       _________________, 19__.

Ladies and Gentlemen:

     Meridian Industrial Trust, Inc., a Maryland corporation (the "Company"), 
proposes, subject to the terms and conditions stated herein and in the 
Underwriting Agreement, dated ____________, 19__  (the "Underwriting 
Agreement"), between the Company on the one hand and Goldman, Sachs & Co.,  
Prudential Securities Incorporated, A.G. Edwards & Sons, Inc., Legg Mason 
Wood Walker Incorporated and PaineWebber Incorporated on the other hand, to 
issue and sell to the Underwriters named in Schedule I hereto (the 
"Underwriters") the Shares specified in Schedule II hereto (the "Designated 
Shares" consisting of Firm Shares and any Optional Shares the Underwriters 
may elect to purchase).  Each of the provisions of the Underwriting Agreement 
is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety, and shall be deemed to 
be a part of this Agreement to the same extent as if such provisions had been 
set forth in full herein; and each of the representations and warranties set 
forth therein shall be deemed to have been made at and as of the date of this 
Pricing Agreement, except that each representation and warranty which refers 
to the Prospectus in Section 2 of the Underwriting Agreement shall be deemed 
to be a representation or warranty as of the date of the Underwriting 
Agreement in relation to the Prospectus (as therein defined), and also a 
representation and warranty as of the date of this Pricing Agreement in 
relation to the Prospectus as amended or supplemented relating to the 
Designated Shares which are the subject of this Pricing Agreement.  Each 
reference to the Representatives herein and in the provisions of the 
Underwriting Agreement so incorporated by reference shall be deemed to refer 
to you.  Unless otherwise defined herein, terms defined in the Underwriting 
Agreement are used herein as therein defined.  The Representatives designated 
to act on behalf of the Representatives and on behalf of each of the 
Underwriters of the Designated Shares pursuant to Section 12 of the 
Underwriting Agreement and the address of the Representatives referred to in 
such Section 12 are set forth in Schedule II hereto.

     An amendment to the Registration Statement, or a supplement to the 
Prospectus, as the case may be, relating to the Designated Shares, in the 
form heretofore delivered to you is now proposed to be filed with the 
Commission.

     Subject to the terms and conditions set forth herein and in the 
Underwriting Agreement incorporated herein by reference, (a) the Company 
agrees to issue and sell to each of the Underwriters, and each of the 
Underwriters agrees, severally and not jointly, to purchase from the Company, 
at the time and place and at the purchase price to the Underwriters set forth 
in Schedule II hereto, the number of Firm Shares set forth opposite the name 
of such Underwriter in Schedule I hereto and, (b) in the event and to the 
extent that the Underwriters shall exercise the election to purchase Optional 
Shares, as provided below, the Company agrees to issue and sell to 

<PAGE>

each of the Underwriters, and each of the Underwriters agrees, severally and 
not jointly, to purchase from the Company at the purchase price to the 
Underwriters set forth in Schedule II hereto that portion of the number of 
Optional Shares as to which such election shall have been exercised.

     The Company hereby grants to each of the Underwriters the right to 
purchase at their election up to the number of Optional Shares set forth 
opposite the name of such Underwriter in Schedule I hereto on the terms 
referred to in the paragraph above for the sole purpose of covering 
over-allotments in the sale of the Firm Shares.  Any such election to 
purchase Optional Shares may be exercised by written notice from the 
Representatives to the Company given within a period of 30 calendar days 
after the date of this Pricing Agreement, setting forth the aggregate number 
of Optional Shares to be purchased and the date on which such Optional Shares 
are to be delivered, as determined by the Representatives, but in no event 
earlier than the First Time of Delivery or, unless the Representatives and 
the Company otherwise agree in writing, no earlier than two or later than ten 
business days after the date of such notice.

     If the foregoing is in accordance with your understanding, please sign 
and return to us [one for the Company and one for each of the Representatives 
plus one for each counsel] counterparts hereof, and upon acceptance hereof by 
you, on behalf of each of the Underwriters, this letter and such acceptance 
hereof, including the provisions of the Underwriting Agreement incorporated 
herein by reference, shall constitute a binding agreement between each of the 
Underwriters and the Company.  It is understood that your acceptance of this 
letter on behalf of each of the Underwriters is or will be pursuant to the 
authority set forth in a form of Agreement among Underwriters, the form of 
which shall be submitted to the Company for examination, upon request, but 
without warranty on the part of the Representatives as to the authority of the 
signers thereof.

                                       Very truly yours,

                                       Meridian Industrial Trust, Inc.
               
               
                                       By:
                                          -------------------------------------
                                          Name: 
                                          Title: 

Accepted as of the date hereof:

Goldman, Sachs & Co.

[CO-REPRESENTATIVES]


By: 
   ----------------------------
       Goldman, Sachs & Co.



                                     [Page ]


<PAGE>
                                       
                                   SCHEDULE I

<TABLE>
                                                                              MAXIMUM NUMBER 
                                                        NUMBER OF FIRM      OF OPTIONAL SHARES 
                                                         SHARES TO BE          WHICH MAY BE 
UNDERWRITER                                                PURCHASED             PURCHASED
- -----------                                                ---------             ---------
<S>                                                     <C>                 <C>
Goldman, Sachs & Co. ...............................
[CO-REPRESENTATIVES AND OTHER UNDERWRITERS] ........

   Total ...........................................
</TABLE>

















                                       
                                    [PAGE  ]
<PAGE>

                                   SCHEDULE II

TITLE OF DESIGNATED SHARES: ___% Series D Cumulative Redeemable Preferred Stock

NUMBER OF DESIGNATED SHARES:

   Number of Firm Shares:   

   Maximum Number of Optional Shares: 

INITIAL OFFERING PRICE TO PUBLIC:

   $_____ per Share

PURCHASE PRICE BY UNDERWRITERS:

   $_____ per Share

COMMISSION PAYABLE TO UNDERWRITERS: 

$____ per Share in same day funds 

FORM OF DESIGNATED SHARES:

[Definitive form, to be made available for checking [and packaging] at lease
twenty-four hours prior to the Time of Delivery at the offices of [The
Depository Trust Company or its designated custodian] [the Representatives]]

[Book-entry only form represented by one or more global securities deposited
with The Depository Trust Company ("DTC") or its designated custodian, to be
made available for checking by the Representatives at least twenty-four hours
prior to the Time of Delivery at the office of DTC.]

SPECIFIED FUNDS FOR PAYMENT OF PURCHASE PRICE:

Federal (same-day) funds

TIME OF DELIVERY:

 _____a.m. (New York City time), June __1998

CLOSING LOCATION:

NAMES AND ADDRESSES OF REPRESENTATIVES:

   Designated Representatives:

   Address for Notices, etc.:

OTHER TERMS:

                                    [PAGE  ]
<PAGE>

                                                                       ANNEX II

     Pursuant to Section 7(d) of the Underwriting Agreement, the accountants 
shall furnish letters to the Underwriters to the effect that (a similar 
letter shall be provided for the Guarantor in which all references to the 
"Company" are changed to the "Guarantor"):

         (i)   They are independent certified public accountants with respect to
     the Company and its subsidiaries within the meaning of the Act and the
     applicable published rules and regulations thereunder;

         (ii)  In their opinion, the financial statements and any supplementary
     financial information and schedules (and, if applicable, financial
     forecasts and/or pro forma financial information) examined by them and
     included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement or the
     Prospectus comply as to form in all material respects with the applicable
     accounting requirements of the Act or the Exchange Act, as applicable, and
     the related published rules and regulations thereunder; and, if applicable,
     they have made a review in accordance with standards established by the
     American Institute of Certified Public Accountants of the consolidated
     interim financial statements, selected financial data, pro forma financial
     information, financial forecasts and/or condensed financial statements
     derived from audited financial statements of the Company for the periods
     specified in such letter, as indicated in their reports thereon, copies of
     which have been separately furnished to the representatives of the
     Underwriters (the "Representatives") and are attached hereto;

         (iii) They have made a review in accordance with standards established
     by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants of the unaudited
     condensed consolidated statements of income, consolidated balance sheets
     and consolidated statements of cash flows included in the Prospectus and/or
     included in the Company's quarterly reports on Form 10-Q incorporated by
     reference into the Prospectus as indicated in their reports thereon copies
     of which are attached hereto; and on the basis of specified procedures
     including inquiries of officials of the Company who have responsibility for
     financial and accounting matters regarding whether the unaudited condensed
     consolidated financial statements referred to in paragraph (vi)(A)(i) below
     comply as to form in all material respects with the applicable accounting
     requirements of the Act and the Exchange Act and the related published
     rules and regulations, nothing came to their attention that caused them to
     believe that the unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements do
     not comply as to form in all material respects with the applicable
     accounting requirements of the Act and the Exchange Act and the related
     published rules and regulations;

         (iv)  The unaudited selected financial information with respect to the
     consolidated results of operations and financial position of the Company
     for the five most recent fiscal years included in the Prospectus and
     included or incorporated by reference in Item 6 of the Company's Annual
     Report on Form 10-K for the most recent fiscal year agrees with the
     corresponding amounts (after restatement where applicable) in the audited
     consolidated financial statements for such five fiscal years which were
     included or incorporated by reference in the Company's Annual Reports on
     Form 10-K for such fiscal years;

         (v)   They have compared the information in the Prospectus under
     selected captions with the disclosure requirements of Regulation S-K and on
     the basis of limited procedures specified in such letter nothing came to
     their attention as a result of the foregoing procedures that caused them to
     believe that this information does not conform in all material respects
     with the disclosure requirements of items 301, 302, 402 and 503(d),
     respectively, of Regulation 


<PAGE>

     S-K;

         (vi)  On the basis of limited procedures, not constituting an
     examination in accordance with generally accepted auditing standards,
     consisting of a reading of the unaudited financial statements and other
     information referred to below, a reading of the latest available interim
     financial statements of the Company and its subsidiaries, inspection of the
     minute books of the Company and its subsidiaries since the date of the
     latest audited financial statements included or incorporated by reference
     in the Prospectus, inquiries of officials of the Company and its
     subsidiaries responsible for financial and accounting matters and such
     other inquiries and procedures as may be specified in such letter, nothing
     came to their attention that caused them to believe that:

              (A)   (i) the unaudited condensed consolidated statements of 
          income, consolidated balance sheets and consolidated statements of 
          cash flows included in the Prospectus and/or included or incorporated 
          by reference in the Company's Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q 
          incorporated by reference in the Prospectus do not comply as to form 
          in all material respects with the applicable accounting requirements 
          of the Exchange Act and the related published rules and regulations, 
          or (ii) any material modifications should be made to the unaudited 
          condensed consolidated statements of income, consolidated balance 
          sheets and consolidated statements of cash flows included in the 
          Prospectus or included in the Company's Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q
          incorporated by reference in the Prospectus, for them to be in 
          conformity with generally accepted accounting principles;

              (B)   any other unaudited income statement data and balance sheet 
          items included in the Prospectus do not agree with the corresponding 
          items in the unaudited consolidated financial statements from which 
          such data and items were derived, and any such unaudited data and 
          items were not determined on a basis substantially consistent with the
          basis for the corresponding amounts in the audited consolidated 
          financial statements included or incorporated by reference in the 
          Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the most recent fiscal year;

              (C)   the unaudited financial statements which were not included 
          in the Prospectus but from which were derived the unaudited condensed 
          financial statements referred to in clause (A) and any unaudited 
          income statement data and balance sheet items included in the 
          Prospectus and referred to in Clause (B) were not determined on a 
          basis substantially consistent with the basis for the audited 
          financial statements included or incorporated by reference in the 
          Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the most recent fiscal year;

              (D)   any unaudited pro forma consolidated condensed financial
          statements included or incorporated by reference in the Prospectus do 
          not comply as to form in all material respects with the applicable 
          accounting requirements of the Act and the published rules and 
          regulations thereunder or the pro forma adjustments have not been 
          properly applied to the historical amounts in the compilation of those
          statements;

              (E)   as of a specified date not more than five days prior to the 
          date of such letter, there have been any changes in the consolidated 
          stock (other than issuances of stock upon exercise of options and 
          stock appreciation rights, upon earn-outs of performance shares and 
          upon conversions of convertible securities, in each case which were 
          outstanding on the date of the latest balance sheet included or 

                                    [PAGE  ]
<PAGE>

          incorporated by reference in the Prospectus) or any increase in the 
          consolidated long-term debt of the Company and its subsidiaries, or 
          any decreases in consolidated net current assets or stockholders' 
          equity or other items specified by the Representatives, or any 
          increases in any items specified by the Representatives, in each case 
          as compared with amounts shown in the latest balance sheet included or
          incorporated by reference in the Prospectus, except in each case for 
          changes, increases or decreases which the Prospectus discloses have 
          occurred or may occur or which are described in such letter; and

              (F)   for the period from the date of the latest financial 
          statements included or incorporated by reference in the Prospectus to 
          the specified date referred to in Clause (E) there were any decreases 
          in consolidated net revenues or operating profit or the total or per 
          share amounts of consolidated net income or other items specified by 
          the Representatives, or any increases in any items specified by the 
          Representatives, in each case as compared with the comparable period 
          of the preceding year and with any other period of corresponding 
          length specified by the Representatives, except in each case for 
          increases or decreases which the Prospectus discloses have occurred 
          or may occur or which are described in such letter; and

         (vii) In addition to the examination referred to in their report(s)
     included or incorporated by reference in the Prospectus and the limited
     procedures, inspection of minute books, inquiries and other procedures
     referred to in paragraphs (iii) and (vi) above, they have carried out
     certain specified procedures, not constituting an examination in accordance
     with generally accepted auditing standards, with respect to certain
     amounts, percentages and financial information specified by the
     Representatives which are derived from the general accounting records of
     the Company and its subsidiaries, which appear in the Prospectus (excluding
     documents incorporated by reference), or in Part II of, or in exhibits and
     schedules to, the Registration Statement specified by the Representatives
     or in documents incorporated by reference in the Prospectus specified by
     the Representatives, and have compared certain of such amounts, percentages
     and financial information with the accounting records of the Company and
     its subsidiaries and have found them to be in agreement.

     All references in this Annex II to the Prospectus shall be deemed to refer
to the Prospectus (including the documents incorporated by reference therein) as
defined in the Underwriting Agreement as of the date of the letter delivered on
the date of the Pricing Agreement for purposes of such letter and to the
Prospectus as amended or supplemented (including the documents incorporated by
reference therein) in relation to the applicable Designated Shares for purposes
of the letter delivered at the Time of Delivery for such Designated Shares.





                                    [PAGE  ]

<PAGE>

                                 PRICING AGREEMENT

Goldman, Sachs & Co.,
Prudential Securities Incorporated,
ABN AMRO Incorporated,
A.G. Edwards & Sons, Inc.,
Legg Mason Wood Walker, Incorporated,
PaineWebber Incorporated,
     
     As Representatives of the several
      Underwriters named in Schedule I hereto,
c/o Goldman, Sachs & Co.,
85 Broad Street,
New York, New York 10004.

                                                                  June 24, 1998

Ladies and Gentlemen:

     Meridian Industrial Trust, Inc., a Maryland corporation (the "Company"),
proposes, subject to the terms and conditions stated herein and in the
Underwriting Agreement, dated June 24, 1998 (the "Underwriting Agreement"),
between the Company on the one hand and Goldman, Sachs & Co., Prudential
Securities Incorporated, ABN AMRO Incorporated, A.G. Edwards & Sons, Inc., Legg
Mason Wood Walker, Incorporated and PaineWebber Incorporated on the other hand,
to issue and sell to the Underwriters named in Schedule I hereto (the
"Underwriters") the Shares specified in Schedule II hereto (the "Designated
Shares" consisting of Firm Shares and any Optional Shares the Underwriters may
elect to purchase).  Each of the provisions of the Underwriting Agreement is
incorporated herein by reference in its entirety, and shall be deemed to be a
part of this Agreement to the same extent as if such provisions had been set
forth in full herein; and each of the representations and warranties set forth
therein shall be deemed to have been made at and as of the date of this Pricing
Agreement, except that each representation and warranty which refers to the
Prospectus in Section 2 of the Underwriting Agreement shall be deemed to be a
representation or warranty as of the date of the Underwriting Agreement in
relation to the Prospectus (as therein defined), and also a representation and
warranty as of the date of this Pricing Agreement in relation to the Prospectus
as amended or supplemented relating to the Designated Shares which are the
subject of this Pricing Agreement.  Each reference to the Representatives herein
and in the provisions of the Underwriting Agreement so incorporated by reference
shall be deemed to refer to you.  Unless otherwise defined herein, terms defined
in the Underwriting Agreement are used herein as therein defined.  The
Representatives designated to act on behalf of the Representatives and on behalf
of each of the Underwriters of the Designated Shares pursuant to Section 12 of
the Underwriting Agreement and the address of the Representatives referred to in
such Section 12 are set forth in Schedule II hereto.

     An amendment to the Registration Statement, or a supplement to the
Prospectus, as the case may be, relating to the Designated Shares, in the form
heretofore delivered to you is now proposed to be filed with the Commission.

     Subject to the terms and conditions set forth herein and in the
Underwriting Agreement incorporated herein by reference, the (a) Company agrees
to issue and sell to each of the Underwriters, and each of the Underwriters
agrees, severally and not jointly, to purchase from the Company, at the time and
place and at the purchase price to the Underwriters set forth in 


<PAGE>

Schedule II hereto, the number of Firm Shares set forth opposite the name of 
such Underwriter in Schedule I hereto and, (b) in the event and to the extent 
that the Underwriters shall exercise the election to purchase Optional 
Shares, as provided below, the Company agrees to issue and sell to each of 
the Underwriters, and each of the Underwriters agrees, severally and not 
jointly, to purchase from the Company at the purchase price to the 
Underwriters set forth in Schedule II hereto that portion of the number of 
Optional Shares as to which such election shall have been exercised.

     The Company hereby grants to each of the Underwriters the right to purchase
at their election up to the number of Optional Shares set forth opposite the
name of such Underwriter in Schedule I hereto on the terms referred to in the
paragraph above for the sole purpose of covering over-allotments in the sale of
the Firm Shares.  Any such election to purchase Optional Shares may be exercised
by written notice from the Representatives to the Company given within a period
of 30 calendar days after the date of this Pricing Agreement, setting forth the
aggregate number of Optional Shares to be purchased and the date on which such
Optional Shares are to be delivered, as determined by the Representatives, but
in no event earlier than the First Time of Delivery or, unless the
Representatives and the Company otherwise agree in writing, no earlier than two
or later than ten business days after the date of such notice.











                                    [PAGE ]

<PAGE>


     If the foregoing is in accordance with your understanding, please sign and
return to us nine counterparts hereof, and upon acceptance hereof by you, on
behalf of each of the Underwriters, this letter and such acceptance hereof,
including the provisions of the Underwriting Agreement incorporated herein by
reference, shall constitute a binding agreement between each of the Underwriters
and the Company.  It is understood that your acceptance of this letter on behalf
of each of the Underwriters is or will be pursuant to the authority set forth in
a form of Agreement among Underwriters, the form of which shall be submitted to
the Company for examination, upon request, but without warranty on the part of
the Representatives as to the authority of the signers thereof.

                                   Very truly yours,

                                   Meridian Industrial Trust, Inc.


                                   By:  /s/ Milton K. Reeder
                                      ------------------------------------
                                      Name: Milton K. Reeder
                                      Title: President

Accepted as of the date hereof:

Goldman, Sachs & Co.
Prudential Securities Incorporated
ABN AMRO Incorporated
A.G. Edwards & Sons, Inc.
Legg Mason Wood Walker, Incorporated
PaineWebber Incorporated


By: /s/ Andrew Jonas
   --------------------------------
     Goldman, Sachs & Co.


<PAGE>


                                  SCHEDULE I

<TABLE>
                                                                        MAXIMUM NUMBER
                                                    NUMBER OF FIRM    OF OPTIONAL SHARES
                                                     SHARES TO BE        WHICH MAY BE
                    UNDERWRITER                        PURCHASED           PURCHASED
                    -----------                     --------------    ------------------
<S>                                                 <C>               <C>
Goldman, Sachs & Co.                                    247,928             37,184
Prudential Securities Incorporated                      247,928             37,184
ABN AMRO Incorporated                                   247,000             37,050
A.G. Edwards & Sons, Inc.                               247,000             37,050
Legg Mason Wood Walker, Incorporated                    247,000             37,050
PaineWebber Incorporated                                247,000             37,050
BT Alex. Brown Incorporated                              33,300              4,995
CIBC Oppenheimer Corp.                                   33,300              4,995
Donaldson, Lufkin & Jenrette Securities Corporation      33,300              4,995
EVEREN Securities, Inc.                                  33,300              4,995
McDonald & Company Securities, Inc.                      33,300              4,995
Wheat First Securities, Inc.                             33,300              4,995
Advest, Inc.                                             16,650              2,498
J.C. Bradford & Co.                                      16,650              2,498
Cowen & Company                                          16,650              2,498
Crowell, Weedon & Co.                                    16,650              2,498
Dain Rauscher Wessels                                    16,650              2,498
Fahnestock & Co. Inc..                                   16,650              2,498
J.J.B. Hilliard, W.L. Lyons, Inc.                        16,650              2,498
Interstate/Johnson Lane Corporation                      16,650              2,498
McGinn, Smith & Co., Inc.                                16,650              2,498
Morgan, Keegan & Company, Inc.                           16,650              2,498
NationsBanc Montgomery Securities LLC                    16,650              2,498
Fifth Third/The Ohio Company                             16,650              2,498
Piper Jaffray Inc.                                       16,650              2,498
The Robinson-Humphrey Company, LLC.                      16,650              2,498
Roney Capital Markets                                    16,650              2,498
Sutro & Co. Incorporated                                 16,650              2,498
Trilon International Inc.                                16,650              2,498
Tucker Anthony Incorporated                              16,650              2,498
Wedbush Morgan Securities                                16,650              2,498
                                                      ---------            -------
                      Total                           2,000,000            300,000
                                                      ---------            -------
                                                      ---------            -------
</TABLE>



                                           A-1

<PAGE>

                                 SCHEDULE II

TITLE OF DESIGNATED SHARES:  8.75% Series D Cumulative Redeemable Preferred
                             Stock (liquidation preference $25.00 per share) 
                             (par value $.001 per share)

NUMBER OF DESIGNATED SHARES:

     Number of Firm Shares:  2,000,000 

     Maximum Number of Optional Shares:  300,000

INITIAL OFFERING PRICE TO PUBLIC:

     $25.00 per Share

PURCHASE PRICE BY UNDERWRITERS:

     $24.2125 per Share

FORM OF DESIGNATED SHARES:

Book-entry only form represented by one or more global securities deposited with
The Depository Trust Company ("DTC") or its designated custodian, to be made
available for checking by the Representatives at least twenty-four hours prior
to the Time of Delivery at the office of DTC.

SPECIFIED FUNDS FOR PAYMENT OF PURCHASE PRICE:

Federal (same-day) funds

TIME OF DELIVERY:

10.00 a.m. (New York City time), June 30, 1998

CLOSING LOCATION:

Hogan & Hartson L.L.P., Columbia Square, 555 Thirteenth Street, N.W. Washington,
D.C. 20004

NAMES AND ADDRESSES OF REPRESENTATIVES:

     Goldman, Sachs & Co.

     Prudential Securities Incorporated

     ABN AMRO Incorporated

     A.G. Edwards & Sons, Inc.

     Legg Mason Wood Walker, Incorporated

     PaineWebber Incorporated

OTHER TERMS:



                                           A-2


<PAGE>

                           MERIDIAN INDUSTRIAL TRUST, INC.


                                    ------------



                          ARTICLES SUPPLEMENTARY CLASSIFYING
                        2,300,000 SHARES OF PREFERRED STOCK AS
                   SERIES D CUMULATIVE REDEEMABLE PREFERRED STOCK


                                    ------------


                              DATED AS OF JUNE 25, 1998

<PAGE>

                                  TABLE OF CONTENTS


                                                                          PAGE

Section 1.   Number of Shares and Designation. . . . . . . . . . . . . .   -1-

Section 2.   Definitions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   -1-

Section 3.   Dividends . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   -3-

Section 4.   Liquidation Rights. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   -5-

Section 5.   Conversion. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   -6-

Section 6.   Redemption at the Option of the Corporation . . . . . . . .   -6-

Section 7.   Shares of Stock to be Retired . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   -7-

Section 8.   Ranking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   -8-

Section 9.   Voting. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   -9-

Section 10.  Record Holders. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  -11-

Section 11.  Sinking Fund. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  -11-

Section 12.  Ownership Limitation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  -11-

                                     i
<PAGE>

                           MERIDIAN INDUSTRIAL TRUST, INC.

                                    ------------

                          ARTICLES SUPPLEMENTARY CLASSIFYING
                        2,300,000 SHARES OF PREFERRED STOCK AS
                    SERIES D CUMULATIVE REDEEMABLE PREFERRED STOCK

                                    ------------

     Meridian Industrial Trust, Inc., a Maryland corporation (the
"CORPORATION"), hereby certifies to the State Department of Assessments and
Taxation of Maryland that:

     FIRST:  Pursuant to Section 2-208 of the Maryland General Corporation Law
and the authority granted to and vested in the Board of Directors of the
Corporation by Article 4 of the Third Amended and Restated Articles of
Incorporation of the Corporation (the "CHARTER"), the Board of Directors at a
meeting duly convened and held on June 23, 1998, adopted resolutions classifying
2,300,000 unissued shares of the preferred stock of the Corporation as Series D
Cumulative Redeemable Preferred Stock (the "SERIES D PREFERRED STOCK") and
setting the preferences, conversion and other rights, voting powers,
restrictions, limitations as to dividends and other distributions,
qualifications, and terms and conditions of redemption thereof, which, upon any
restatement of the Charter of the Corporation, shall become a part of Article 4
of the Charter.

          Section 1.     NUMBER OF SHARES AND DESIGNATION.  This class of
Preferred Stock shall be designated as Series D Cumulative Redeemable Preferred
Stock, par value $.001 per share (the "Series D Preferred Stock").  The number
of shares of preferred stock constituting the Series D Preferred Stock is
2,300,000.

          Section 2.     DEFINITIONS.  The following terms shall have the
following meanings herein:

          (a)  "BOARD OF DIRECTORS" shall mean the Board of Directors of the
Corporation or any committee authorized by the Board of Directors to perform any
of its responsibilities with respect to the Series D Preferred Stock.

          (b)  "BUSINESS DAY" shall mean any day other than a Saturday, Sunday
or day on which state or federally chartered banking institutions in New York
City, New York are not required to be open.

          (c)  "CALL DATE" shall have the meaning set forth in Section 6(b).

          (d)  "CAPITAL GAINS AMOUNT" shall have the meaning set forth in
Section 3(d).

          (e)  "CHARTER" means the Third Amended and Restated Articles of
Incorporation of the Corporation, as the same may be amended hereafter from time
to time.

<PAGE>

          (f)  "CODE" shall have the meaning set forth in Section 12.

          (g)  "COMMON STOCK" shall mean the common stock of the Corporation,
par value $.001 per share.

          (h)  "DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE" shall mean the last calendar day (or, if
such day is not a Business Day, the next Business Day thereafter) of each
January, April, July and October, commencing on July 31, 1998.

          (i)  "DIVIDEND PERIODS" shall mean quarterly dividend periods
commencing on February 1, May 1, August 1 and November 1 of each year and ending
on April 30, July 31, October 31 and January 31 of such year, respectively
(other than the initial Dividend Period, which shall commence on the Issue Date
and end on July 31, 1998, and other than the Dividend Period during which any
shares of Series D Preferred Stock shall be redeemed pursuant to Section 6,
which shall end on and include the Call Date with respect to the shares of
Series D Preferred Stock being redeemed).

          (j)  "EXEMPTED PERSON" shall have the meaning set forth in Section 12.

          (k)  "FULLY JUNIOR STOCK" shall mean the Common Stock and any other 
class or series of shares of capital stock of the Corporation now or 
hereafter issued and outstanding over which the Series D Preferred Stock has 
preference or priority in both (i) the payment of dividends and (ii) the 
distribution of assets on any liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the 
Corporation.

          (l)  "ISSUE DATE" shall mean the first date on which the pertinent
shares of the Series D Preferred Stock are issued and sold.

          (m)  "JUNIOR STOCK" shall mean the Common Stock and any other class or
series of shares of capital stock of the Corporation now or hereafter issued and
outstanding over which the Series D Preferred Stock has preference or priority
in the payment of dividends or in the distribution of assets on any liquidation,
dissolution or winding up of the Corporation.

          (n)  "PARITY STOCK" shall have the meaning set forth in Section 8(b).

          (o)  "PREFERRED STOCK" shall mean the preferred stock of the
Corporation, par value $.001 per share.

          (p)  "SERIES B PREFERRED STOCK" shall mean the 2,272,727 shares of
Series B Convertible Preferred Stock, par value $.001 per share, of the
Corporation classified in Section 4.4 of the Charter.

          (q)  "SERIES D PREFERRED STOCK" shall have the meaning set forth in
Section 1.

                                     -2-
<PAGE>

          (r)  "SET APART FOR PAYMENT" shall be deemed to include, without any
action other than the following; the recording by the Corporation in its
accounting ledgers of any accounting or bookkeeping entry which indicates,
pursuant to an authorization of dividends or other distribution by the Board of
Directors, the allocation of funds to be so paid on any series or class of
shares of stock of the Corporation; PROVIDED, HOWEVER, that if any funds for any
class or series of Junior Stock or Fully Junior Stock or any class or series of
shares of stock ranking on a parity with the Series D Preferred Stock as to the
payment of dividends are placed in a separate account of the Corporation or
delivered to a disbursing, paying or other similar agent, then "set apart for
payment" with respect to the Series D Preferred Stock shall mean placing such
funds in such separate account or delivering such funds to a disbursing, paying
or other similar agent.

          (s)  "TOTAL DIVIDENDS" shall have the meaning set forth in Section
3(d).

          (t)  "TRANSFER AGENT" means First Chicago Trust Company of New York,
or such other agent or agents of the Corporation as may be designated by the
Board of Directors or their designee as the transfer agent, registrar and
dividend disbursing agent for the Series D Preferred Stock.

          Section 3.     DIVIDENDS.

          (a)  Subject to the provisions of Section 8 hereof, the holders of
Series D Preferred Stock shall be entitled to receive, when, as and if
authorized by the Board of Directors out of funds legally available for that
purpose, cumulative, preferential dividends payable in cash at the rate of 8.75%
of the liquidation preference per annum per share (equal to 2.1875 per annum per
share).  Such dividends shall begin to accrue and shall be fully cumulative from
the Issue Date, whether or not in any Dividend Period or Periods there shall be
funds of the Corporation legally available for the payment of such dividends,
and shall be payable quarterly, when, as and if authorized by the Board of
Directors, in arrears on Dividend Payment Dates, commencing on the first
Dividend Payment Date after the Issue Date.  Such dividends shall be payable in
arrears to the holders of record of Series D Preferred Stock, as they appear on
the stock records of the Corporation at the close of business on the record
date, not more than 50 nor less than 10 days preceding the relevant Dividend
Payment Date, as shall be fixed by the Board of Directors.  Accrued and unpaid
dividends for any past Dividend Periods may be authorized and paid on any date
and for such interim periods, without reference to any regular Dividend Payment
Date, to holders of record on such date, not exceeding 50 days preceding the
payment date thereof, as may be fixed by the Board of Directors.  Any dividend
payment made on the Series D Preferred Stock shall first be credited against the
earliest accrued but unpaid dividend due with respect to the Series D Preferred
Stock which remains payable.

          (b)  The amount of dividends referred to in Section 3(a) payable for
each full Dividend Period for the Series D Preferred Stock shall be computed by
dividing the annual dividend rate by four, except that the amount of dividends
payable for the initial Dividend Period, and for any Dividend Period shorter
than a full Dividend Period, for the Series D Preferred Stock shall be

                                     -3-
<PAGE>

computed on the basis of the actual number of days in such Dividend Period.
Holders of Series D Preferred Stock shall not be entitled to any dividends,
whether payable in cash, property or shares of stock, in excess of cumulative
dividends, as herein provided, on the Series D Preferred Stock.  No interest,
or sum of money in lieu of interest, shall be payable in respect of any
dividend payment or payments on the Series D Preferred Stock that may be in
arrears.

          (c)  Dividends on Series D Preferred Stock will accrue whether or not
the Corporation has earnings, whether or not there are funds legally available
for the payment of such dividends and whether or not such dividends are
authorized.

          (d)  If, for any taxable year, the Corporation elects to designate as
"capital gain dividends" (as defined in Section 857 of the Code), any portion
(the "Capital Gains Amount") of the total dividends (within the meaning of the
Code) paid or made available for the year to holders of all classes of stock
(the "Total Dividends"), then the portion of the Capital Gains Amount that shall
be allocable to holders of Series D Preferred Stock shall be in the same
proportion that the dividends paid or made available to the holders of Series D
Preferred Stock for the year bears to the Total Dividends.

          (e)  So long as any shares of Series D Preferred Stock are
outstanding, no dividends, except as described in the immediately following
sentence, shall be authorized or paid or set apart for payment on any class or
series of Parity Stock for any period unless full cumulative dividends have been
or contemporaneously are authorized and paid or authorized and a sum sufficient
for the payment thereof set apart for such payment on any outstanding shares of
Series B Preferred Stock and on the Series D Preferred Stock for all Dividend
Periods terminating on or prior to the dividend payment date for such class or
series of Parity Stock.  Assuming all cumulative dividends have been authorized
and paid or authorized and a sum sufficient for payment thereof set apart for
payment on the Series B Preferred Stock, if dividends are not paid in full or a
sum sufficient for such payment is not set apart upon the Series D Preferred
Stock, as aforesaid, all dividends authorized upon Series D Preferred Stock and
all dividends authorized upon any other class or series of Parity Stock shall be
authorized ratably in proportion to the respective amounts of dividends
accumulated and unpaid on the Series D Preferred Stock and accumulated and
unpaid on such Parity Stock.

          (f)  So long as any shares of Series D Preferred Stock are
outstanding, no dividends (other than dividends or distributions paid solely in
shares of, or options, warrants or rights to subscribe for or purchase shares
of, Fully Junior Stock) shall be authorized or paid or set apart for payment or
other distribution authorized or made upon Junior Stock or Fully Junior Stock,
nor shall any Junior Stock or Fully Junior Stock be redeemed, purchased or
otherwise acquired (other than a redemption, purchase or other acquisition of
shares of Common Stock made for purposes of any employee incentive or benefit
plan of the Corporation or any subsidiary) for any consideration (or any moneys
be paid to or made available for a sinking fund for the redemption of any such
shares) by the Corporation, directly or indirectly (except by conversion into or
exchange for shares of Fully Junior Stock), unless in each case (i) the full
cumulative dividends on all outstanding shares of

                                     -4-
<PAGE>

Series D Preferred Stock and any other Parity Stock of the Corporation shall
have been or contemporaneously are authorized and paid or authorized and set
apart for payment for all past Dividend Periods with respect to the Series D
Preferred Stock and all past dividend periods with respect to such Parity
Stock and (ii) sufficient funds shall have been or contemporaneously are
authorized and paid or authorized and set apart for the payment of the
dividend for the current Dividend Period with respect to the Series D
Preferred Stock and the current dividend period with respect to such Parity
Stock.

          (g)  No dividends on Series D Preferred Stock shall be authorized by
the Board of Directors or paid or set apart for payment by the Corporation at
such time as the terms and provisions of any agreement of the Corporation,
including any agreement relating to its indebtedness, prohibits such
declaration, payment or setting apart for payment or provides that such
authorization, payment or setting apart for payment would constitute a breach
thereof or a default thereunder, or if such authorization or payment shall be
restricted or prohibited by law.

          Section 4.     LIQUIDATION RIGHTS.

          (a)  In the event of any liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the
Corporation, whether voluntary or involuntary, before any payment or
distribution of the assets of the Corporation (whether capital or surplus) shall
be made to or set apart for the holders of Junior Stock and subject to the
provisions of Section 8 hereof, the holders of the Series D Preferred Stock
shall be entitled to receive Twenty Five Dollars ($25.00) per share of Series D
Preferred Stock plus an amount equal to all dividends (whether or not earned or
authorized) accrued and unpaid thereon to the date of final distribution to such
holders; but such holders shall not be entitled to any further payment.  If,
upon any liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the Corporation, the assets
of the Corporation, or proceeds thereof, distributable among the holders of the
Series D Preferred Stock shall be insufficient to pay in full the preferential
amount aforesaid and liquidating payments on any other shares of any class or
series of Parity Stock, then such assets, or the proceeds thereof, shall be
distributed among the holders of the Series D Preferred Stock and any such other
Parity Stock ratably in accordance with the respective amounts that would be
payable on such Series D Preferred Stock and any such other Parity Stock if all
amounts payable thereon were paid in full.  For the purposes of this Section 4,
(i) a consolidation or merger of the Corporation with one or more corporations,
real estate investment trusts, or other entities, (ii) a sale, lease or transfer
of all or substantially all of the Corporation's assets, or (iii) a statutory
share exchange shall not be deemed to be a liquidation, dissolution or winding
up, voluntary or involuntary, of the Corporation.

          (b)  Subject to the rights of the holders of shares of any series or
class or classes of capital stock ranking on a parity with or prior to the
Series D Preferred Stock upon liquidation, dissolution or winding up, upon any
liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the Corporation, after payment shall
have been made in full to the holders of the Series D Preferred Stock, as
provided in this Section 4, any other series or class or classes of Junior Stock
or Fully Junior Stock shall, subject to the respective terms and provisions (if
any) applying thereto, be entitled to receive any and all

                                     -5-
<PAGE>

assets remaining to be paid or distributed, and the holders of the Series D
Preferred Stock shall not be entitled to share therein.

          (c)  In determining whether a distribution (other than upon voluntary
or involuntary liquidation), by dividend, redemption or other acquisition of
shares or otherwise, is permitted under the Maryland General Corporation Law,
amounts that would be needed, if the Corporation were to be dissolved at the
time of the distribution, to satisfy the preferential rights upon dissolution of
holders of the Series D Preferred Stock shall be added to the Corporation's
total liabilities, but only if, and to the extent, that the addition of such
amounts would not prohibit a distribution necessary, as determined by the Board
of Directors, to maintain the Corporations's status as a "real estate investment
trust" under the Code.

          Section 5.     CONVERSION.  The shares of Series D Preferred Stock are
not convertible or exchangeable for any other property or securities of the
Corporation.

          Section 6.     REDEMPTION AT THE OPTION OF THE CORPORATION.

          (a)  The Series D Preferred Stock shall not be redeemable by the
Corporation prior to June 30, 2003.  On and after that date, the Corporation, at
its option, may redeem the Series D Preferred Stock, in whole or in part at any
time or from time to time, at a redemption price of Twenty Five Dollars ($25.00)
per share of Series D Preferred Stock, plus the amounts indicated in
Section 6(b).

          (b)  Upon any redemption of the Series D Preferred Stock pursuant to
this Section 6, the Corporation shall pay all accrued and unpaid dividends, if
any, thereon ending on or prior to the date of such redemption (the "CALL
DATE"), without interest.  If the Call Date falls after a dividend payment
record date and prior to the corresponding Dividend Payment Date, then each
holder of Series D Preferred Stock at the close of business on such dividend
payment record date shall be entitled to the dividend payable on such shares on
the corresponding Dividend Payment Date notwithstanding the redemption of such
shares before such Dividend Payment Date.  Except as provided above, the
Corporation shall make no payment or allowance for unpaid dividends, whether or
not in arrears, on shares of Series D Preferred Stock called for redemption.

          (c)  If full cumulative dividends on the Series B Preferred Stock and
the Series D Preferred Stock and any other class or series of Parity Stock of
the Corporation have not been authorized and paid or authorized and set apart
for payment, the Series D Preferred Stock or Parity Stock may not be redeemed
under this Section 6 in part and the Corporation may not purchase or acquire the
Series D Preferred Stock or any Parity Stock, otherwise than pursuant to a
purchase or exchange offer made on the same terms to all holders of Series D
Preferred Stock or Parity Stock, as the case may be.

          (d)  Notice of the redemption of any Series D Preferred Stock under
this Section 6 shall be mailed by first-class mail to each holder of record of
Series D Preferred Stock to be redeemed at the address of each such holder as
shown on the Corporation's records, not less than 30 nor more than 90 days prior
to the Call Date.  Neither the failure to mail any notice required by this

                                     -6-
<PAGE>

Section 6(d), nor any defect therein or in the mailing thereof, to any
particular holder, shall affect the sufficiency of the notice or the validity of
the proceedings for redemption with respect to the other holders.  Any notice
which was mailed in the manner herein provided shall be conclusively presumed to
have been duly given on the date mailed whether or not the holder receives the
notice.  Each such mailed notice shall state, as appropriate:  (1) the Call
Date; (2) the number of shares of Series D Preferred Stock to be redeemed and,
if fewer than all the shares held by such holder are to be redeemed, the number
of such shares to be redeemed from such holder; (3) the redemption price per
share; (4) the place or places at which certificates for such shares are to be
surrendered; and (5) that dividends on the shares to be redeemed shall cease to
accrue on such Call Date except as otherwise provided herein.  Notice having
been mailed as aforesaid, from and after the Call Date (unless the Corporation
shall fail to make available an amount of cash necessary to effect such
redemption), (i) except as otherwise provided herein, dividends on the Series D
Preferred Stock so called for redemption shall cease to accrue, (ii) shares of
such Series D Preferred Stock shall no longer be deemed to be outstanding, and
(iii) all rights of the holders thereof as holders of Series D Preferred Stock
of the Corporation shall cease (except the right to receive cash payable upon
such redemption, without interest thereon, upon surrender and endorsement of
their certificates if so required and to receive any dividends payable thereon).
The Corporation's obligation to provide cash in accordance with the preceding
sentence shall be deemed fulfilled if, on or before the Call Date, the
Corporation shall deposit with a bank or trust company (which may be an
affiliate of the Corporation) that has an office in San Francisco, California,
and that has, or is an affiliate of a bank or trust company that has, capital
and surplus of at least $50,000,000, the amount of cash necessary for such
redemption, in trust, with irrevocable instructions that such cash be applied to
the redemption of the Series D Preferred Stock so called for redemption.  No
interest shall accrue for the benefit of the holders of Series D Preferred Stock
to be redeemed on any cash so set aside by the Corporation.  Subject to
applicable escheat laws, any such cash unclaimed at the end of two years from
the Call Date shall revert to the general funds of the Corporation, after which
reversion the holders of such shares so called for redemption shall look only to
the general funds of the Corporation for the payment of such cash.

          As promptly as practicable after the surrender in accordance with said
notice of the certificates for any such shares so redeemed (properly endorsed or
assigned for transfer, if the Corporation shall so require and if the notice
shall so state), such shares shall be exchanged for any cash (without interest
thereon) for which such shares have been redeemed.  If fewer than all the
outstanding shares of Series D Preferred Stock are to redeemed, shares to be
redeemed shall be selected by the Corporation from outstanding shares of Series
D Preferred Stock not previously called for redemption by lot or pro rata (as
nearly as may be) or by any other method determined by the Corporation in its
sole discretion to be equitable.  If fewer than all the shares of Series D
Preferred Stock represented by any certificate are redeemed, then new
certificates representing the unredeemed shares shall be issued without cost to
the holder thereof.

          Section 7.     SHARES OF STOCK TO BE RETIRED.  All shares of Series D
Preferred Stock which shall have been issued and reacquired in any manner by the
Corporation shall be restored to

                                     -7-
<PAGE>

the status of authorized but unissued shares of Preferred Stock of the
Corporation, without designation as to class or series.

          Section 8.     RANKING.  The Series D Preferred Stock shall rank
junior to the Series B Preferred Stock as to the payment of dividends and as to
the distribution of assets upon liquidation, dissolution or winding up.  So long
as any Series B Preferred Stock is outstanding, no dividends (other than
dividends or distributions paid solely in shares of, or options, warrants or
rights to subscribe for or purchase shares of, Fully Junior Stock) shall be
authorized or paid or set apart for payment or other distribution authorized or
made upon the Series D Preferred Stock, nor shall any Series D Preferred Stock
be redeemed, purchased or otherwise acquired for any consideration (or any
moneys be paid to or made available for a sinking fund for the redemption of any
shares of any such stock) by the Corporation, directly or indirectly (except by
conversion into or exchange for other Fully Junior Shares), unless (i) the full
cumulative dividends on all outstanding shares of Series B Preferred Stock shall
have been paid or authorized and set apart for payment for all past dividend
periods with respect to the Series B Preferred Stock and (ii) sufficient funds
shall have been paid or authorized and set apart for the payment of the dividend
for the current dividend period with respect to the Series B Preferred Stock.

     Any class or series of shares of stock of the Corporation shall be deemed
to rank:

          (a)  prior to the Series D Preferred Stock, as to the payment of
dividends and as to distribution of assets upon liquidation, dissolution or
winding up, if the holders of such class or series shall be entitled to the
receipt of dividends or of amounts distributable upon liquidation, dissolution
or winding up, as the case may be, in preference or priority to the holders of
Series D Preferred Stock;

          (b)  on a parity with the Series D Preferred Stock, as to the payment
of dividends and as to distribution of assets upon liquidation, dissolution or
winding up, whether or not the dividend rates, dividend payment dates or
redemption or liquidation prices per share thereof be different from those of
the Series D Preferred Stock, if the holders of such class or series of shares
of stock and the Series D Preferred Stock shall be entitled to the receipt of
dividends and of amounts distributable upon liquidation, dissolution or winding
up in proportion to their respective amounts of accrued and unpaid dividends per
share or liquidation preferences, without preference or priority one over the
other ("PARITY STOCK");

          (c)  junior to the Series D Preferred Stock, as to the payment of
dividends or as to the distribution of assets upon liquidation, dissolution or
winding up, if such shares of stock shall be Junior Stock; and

          (d)  junior to the Series D Preferred Stock, as to the payment of
dividends and as to the distribution of assets upon liquidation, dissolution or
winding up, if such shares of stock shall be Fully Junior Stock.

                                     -8-
<PAGE>

          Section 9.     VOTING.

          (a)  On any matter on which the holders of Series D Preferred Stock
are entitled to vote (as expressly provided herein or as may be required by
law), including any action by written consent, each share of Series D Preferred
Stock shall have one vote per share, except that when shares of any other series
of Preferred Stock shall have the right to vote with the Series D Preferred
Stock as a single class on any matter, then the Series D Preferred Stock and
such other series shall have with respect to such matters one vote per $25.00 of
stated liquidation preference.  With respect to each matter on which the holders
of Series D Preferred Stock are entitled to vote, the holder of each share of
Series D Preferred Stock may designate a number of proxies equal to the number
of votes to which the share is entitled, with each such proxy having the right
to vote a whole number of votes on behalf of such holder.

          (b)  Notwithstanding the rights of the holders of the Series B
Preferred Stock, if and whenever dividends payable for six or more quarterly
periods on the Series D Preferred Stock or any series or class of Parity Stock
shall be in arrears (which shall, with respect to any such quarterly dividend,
mean that any such dividend has not been paid in full), whether or not
authorized and whether or not such periods are consecutive, the number of
directors then constituting the Board of Directors shall be increased by two,
and the holders of Series D Preferred Stock, together with the holders of shares
of every other series of Parity Stock, voting as a single class regardless of
series, shall be entitled to elect the two additional directors to serve on the
Board of Directors at any annual meeting of stockholders or special meeting held
in place thereof, or at a special meeting of the holders of the Series D
Preferred Stock and the Parity Stock called as hereinafter provided.  Whenever
all arrears in dividends on the Series D Preferred Stock and the Parity Stock
then outstanding shall have been paid and dividends thereon for the current
quarterly dividend period shall have been paid or declared and set apart for
payment, then the right of the holders of the Series D Preferred Stock and the
Parity Stock to elect such additional two directors shall immediately cease (but
subject always to the same provision for the vesting of such voting rights in
the case of any similar future arrearages in six quarterly dividends), and the
terms of office of all persons so elected as directors by the holders of the
Series D Preferred Stock and the Parity Stock shall immediately terminate and
the number of the Board of Directors shall be reduced accordingly.  At any time
after such voting rights shall have been so vested in the holders of Series D
Preferred Stock and the Parity Stock, the secretary of the Corporation may, and
upon the written request of any holder of Series D Preferred Stock (addressed to
the secretary at the principal office of the Corporation) shall, call a special
meeting of the holders of the Series D Preferred Stock and of the Parity Stock
for the election of the two directors to be elected by them as herein provided,
such call to be made by notice similar to that provided in the Bylaws of the
Corporation for a special meeting of the stockholders or as required by law.  If
any such special meeting required to be called as above provided shall not be
called by the secretary within 20 days after receipt of any such request, then
any holder of Series D Preferred Stock may call such meeting, upon the notice
above provided, and for that purpose shall have access to the stock records of
the Corporation.  The directors elected at any such special meeting shall hold
office until the next annual meeting of the stockholders or special meeting held
in lieu thereof if such office shall not have previously terminated as above
provided.  If any vacancy

                                     -9-
<PAGE>

shall occur among the directors elected by the holders of the Series D
Preferred Stock and the Parity Stock, a successor shall be elected by the
Board of Directors, upon the nomination of the then-remaining director elected
by the holders of the Series D Preferred Stock and the Parity Stock or the
successor of such remaining director, to serve until the next annual meeting
of the stockholders or special meeting held in place thereof if such office
shall not have previously terminated as provided above.

          (c)  So long as any shares of Series D Preferred Stock are
outstanding, in addition to any other vote or consent of stockholders required
by law or by the Charter of the Corporation, the affirmative vote of the holders
of at least 66-2/3% of the Series D Preferred Stock and the Parity Stock, at the
time outstanding, acting as a single class regardless of series, given in person
or by proxy, either in writing without a meeting or by vote at any meeting
called for the purpose, shall be necessary for effecting or validating:

               (i)  Any amendment, alteration or repeal of any of the provisions
of the Charter of the Corporation (including these Articles Supplementary) that
materially and adversely affects the voting powers, rights or preferences of the
holders of the Series D Preferred Stock or the Parity Stock; PROVIDED, HOWEVER,
that the amendment of the provisions of the Charter of the Corporation so as to
authorize or create or to increase the authorized amount of shares of any class
of any Fully Junior Stock or Junior Stock that are not senior in any respect to
the Series D Preferred Stock, or any shares of any class ranking on a parity
with the Series D Preferred Stock or the Parity Stock, shall not be deemed to
materially adversely affect the voting powers, rights or preferences of the
holders of Series D Preferred Stock; and PROVIDED FURTHER, that if any such
amendment, alteration or repeal would materially and adversely affect any voting
powers, rights or preferences of the Series D Preferred Stock or another series
of Parity Stock that are not enjoyed by some or all of the other series
otherwise entitled to vote in accordance herewith, the affirmative vote of at
least 66-2/3% of the votes entitled to be cast by the holders of all series
similarly affected, similarly given, shall be required in lieu of the
affirmative vote of at least 66-2/3% of the votes entitled to be cast by the
holders of the Series D Preferred Stock and the Parity Stock otherwise entitled
to vote in accordance herewith;

               (ii) A share exchange that affects the Series D Preferred Stock,
a consolidation with or merger of the Corporation into another entity, or a
consolidation with or merger of another entity into the Corporation, unless in
each such case each share of Series D Preferred Stock (i) shall remain
outstanding without a material and adverse change to its terms and rights or
(ii) shall be converted into or exchanged for preferred stock of the surviving
entity having preferences, conversion or other rights, voting powers,
restrictions, limitations as to dividends, qualifications and terms or
conditions of redemption thereof identical to that of a share of Series D
Preferred Stock (except for changes that do not materially and adversely affect
the holders of the Series D Preferred Stock); or

                                     -10-
<PAGE>

               (iii) The authorization or creation of, or the increase in
the authorized amount of, any shares of any class, or any security convertible
into shares of any class, ranking prior to the Series D Preferred Stock in the
distribution of assets on any liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the
Corporation or in the payment of dividends; PROVIDED, HOWEVER, that no such vote
of the holders of Series D Preferred Stock shall be required if, at or prior to
the time when such amendment, alteration or repeal is to take effect, or when
the issuance of any such shares or convertible securities is to be made, as the
case may be, provision is made for the redemption of all shares of Series D
Preferred Stock at the time outstanding.

          (d)  Except as otherwise required by applicable law or as set forth
herein, the Series D Preferred Stock shall not have any relative, participating,
optional or other special voting rights and powers, and the consent of the
holders thereof shall not be required for the taking of any corporate action.

          Section 10.    RECORD HOLDERS.  The Corporation and the Transfer Agent
may deem and treat the record holder of any Series D Preferred Stock as the true
and lawful owner thereof for all purposes, and neither the Corporation nor the
Transfer Agent shall be affected by any notice to the contrary.

          Section 11.    SINKING FUND.  The Series D Preferred Stock shall not
be entitled to the benefits of any retirement or sinking fund.

          Section 12.    OWNERSHIP LIMITATION.  Pursuant to the authority
granted to the Board of Directors under Section 5.3 of the Charter, any Person
(as defined in the Charter) who is not an individual within the meaning of
Section 542(a)(2) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the "Code"),
as modified by Section 856(h)(3) of the Code (referred to as an "Exempted
Person"), that acquires Beneficial Ownership (as defined in the Charter) of
shares of Series D Preferred Stock shall not be subject to the Ownership Limit
(as defined in the Charter) with respect to the Series D Preferred Stock,
subject to the condition that no Person (as defined in the Charter) who is an
individual within the meaning of Section 542(a)(2) of the Code, as modified by
Section 856(h)(3) of the Code and who Beneficially Owns (as defined in the
Charter) any of the shares of Series D Preferred Stock owned directly by the
Exempted Person at any time Beneficially Owns an amount of Series D Preferred
Stock in excess of the Ownership Limit and that such Person does not own,
actually or Constructively (as defined in the Charter), an interest in a tenant
of the Company (or a tenant of any entity owned or controlled by the Company in
whole or in part) that would cause the Company to own, actually or
Constructively, more than a 9.8% interest (as set forth in Section 856(h)(3) of
the Code) in such tenant.  Each Exempted Person who acquires shares of Series D
Preferred Stock in reliance upon the conditional exemption set forth in the
preceding sentence represents and warrants to the Corporation as a condition of
such reliance that each of the conditions set forth therein is satisfied at the
time such Exempted Person acquired the shares of Series D Preferred Stock and
will be satisfied throughout the period during which such Exempted Person
Beneficially Owns the shares of Series D Preferred Stock.  Each Exempted Person
who acquires shares of Series D Preferred Stock in reliance upon the conditional
exemption set forth in

                                     -11-
<PAGE>

the second preceding sentence further agrees that in the event either of the
conditions set forth in the second preceding sentence is at any time not
satisfied, the exemption granted under this Section 12 no longer shall apply
to such Exempted Person and all of the shares of Series D Preferred Stock
Beneficially Owned by such Exempted Person shall be subject to all of the
restrictions and remedies set forth in Article 5 of the Charter (including,
without limitation, the remedies set forth in Section 5.8 of the Charter).

     SECOND:  The Series D Preferred Stock has been classified by the Board of
Directors under the authority contained in Article 4, Section 4.2 of the
Charter.


     THIRD:  These Articles Supplementary have been approved by the Board of
Directors in the manner and by the votes required by law.

     FOURTH:  The undersigned each acknowledges these Articles Supplementary to
be the act of the Corporation and further, as to all matters or facts required
to be verified under oath, each of the undersigned acknowledges that to the best
of his acknowledge, information and belief, these matters and facts are true in
all material respects and that this statement is made under the penalties of
perjury.


                                     -12-
<PAGE>

     IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Corporation has caused these Articles Supplementary
to be signed in its name and on its behalf by its President and attested to by
its Assistant Secretary on June 25, 1998.

                                   MERIDIAN INDUSTRIAL TRUST, INC.



                                   By:  /s/ Milton K. Reeder
                                      -------------------------------
                                        Milton K. Reeder,
                                        President



                                   By:  /s/ Jaime Suarez
                                      --------------------------------
                                        Jaime Suarez
                                        Assistant Secretary


                                     -13-


<PAGE>
                                       
                                  [LETTERHEAD]

                                 June 25, 1998

Meridian Industrial Trust, Inc.
455 Market Street, 17th Floor
San Francisco, California 94105

     Re:  Registration Statement on Form S-3
          Registration No. 333-24579
          ----------------------------------

Ladies and Gentlemen:

     We have served as Maryland counsel to Meridian Industrial Trust, Inc., a 
Maryland Corporation (the "Company"), in connection with certain matters of 
Maryland law arising out of the Company's registration statement on Form S-3 
(No. 333-24579), previously declared effective by the Securities and Exchange 
Commission (the "Commission") under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended 
(the "1933 Act"), relating to the proposed public offering of securities of 
the Company that may be offered and sold by the Company from time to time as 
set forth in the prospectus which forms a part of the Registration Statement 
(the "Prospectus"). This opinion is rendered in connection with the sale and 
issuance of up to 2,300,000 shares (the "Shares") of Series D Cumulative 
Redeemable Preferred Stock, $0.001 par value per share ("Series D Preferred 
Stock"), of the Company as described in a prospectus supplement dated June 25, 
1998. Capitalized terms used but not defined herein shall have the meanings 
given to them in the Registration Statement.

     In connection with our representation of the Company, and as a basis for 
the opinion hereinafter set forth, we have examined originals, or copies 
certified or otherwise identified to our satisfaction, of the following 
documents (hereinafter collectively referred to as the "Documents"):

     1.  The Registration Statement and the related form of prospectus in the 
form in which it was transmitted to the Commission, under the 1933 Act and 
the prospectus supplement dated June 25, 1998;

<PAGE>

Meridian Industrial Trust, Inc.
June 25, 1998
Page 2

     2.  The Charter of the Company, certified as of the date hereof by the 
State Department of Assessments and Taxation of Maryland (the "SDAT");

     3.  The Bylaws of the Company, certified as of the date hereof by an 
officer of the Company;

     4.  Articles of Supplementary of the Company with respect to the Shares, 
to be filed with the SDAT.

     5.  Resolutions adopted by the Board of Directors of the Company 
relating to the (i) the classification of 2,300,000 unissued shares of the 
preferred stock of the Company as Series D Cumulative Redeemable Preferred 
Stock, $.001 par value per share; (ii) setting the preferences, conversion 
and other rights, voting powers, restrictions limitations as to dividends and 
other distributions, qualifications, and terms and conditions of redemption 
of the Series D Cumulative Redeemable Preferred Stock; and (iii) relating to 
the sale and issuance by the Company of up to 2,300,000 shares of the Series 
D Cumulative Redeemable Preferred Stock (the "Resolutions"), certified as of 
the date hereof by an officer of the Company;

     6.  A certificate of the SDAT, as of the date hereof, as to the good 
standing of the Company;

     7.  A certificate executed by an officer of the Company, dated the date 
hereof; and

     8.  Such other documents and matters as we have deemed necessary or 
appropriate to express the opinion set forth in this letter, subject to the 
assumptions, limitations and qualifications stated herein.

     In expressing the opinion set forth below, we have assumed, and so far 
as is known to us there are no facts inconsistent with, the following:

     1.  Each individual executing any of the Documents, whether on behalf of 
such individual or another person, is legally competent to do so.

     2.  Each individual executing any of the Documents on behalf of a party 
(other than the Company) is duly authorized to do so.

     3.  Each of the parties (other than the Company) executing any of the 
Documents has duly and validly executed and delivered each of the Documents 
to which such party is a signatory, and such party's obligations set forth 
therein are

<PAGE>

Meridian Industrial Trust, Inc.
June 25, 1998
Page 3

legal, valid and binding and are enforceable in accordance with all stated 
terms

     4.  All Documents submitted to us as originals are authentic. The form 
and content of the Documents submitted to us as unexecuted drafts do not 
differ in any respect relevant to this opinion from the form and content of 
such Documents as executed and delivered. All Documents submitted to us as 
certified or photostatic copies conform to the original documents. All 
signatures on all such Documents are genuine. All public records reviewed or 
relied upon by us or on our behalf are true and complete. All statements and 
information contained in the Documents are true and complete. There has been 
no oral or written modification or amendment to any of the Documents, and 
there has been no waiver of any provision of any of the Documents, by action 
or omission of the parties or otherwise.

     5.  Articles Supplementary creating and designating 2,300,000 shares as 
Series D Cumulative Redeemable Preferred Stock in substantially the form and 
content attached as an exhibit to the Company's Form 8-K dated June 25, 1998
(the "8-K") and incorporated by reference into the Registration Statement will 
be filed with and accepted for record by the SDAT prior to the issuance of the 
Shares.

     The phrase "known to us" is limited to the actual knowledge, without 
independent inquiry, of the lawyers at our firm who have performed legal 
services in connection with the issuance of this opinion.

     Based upon the foregoing, and subject to the assumptions, limitations 
and qualifications stated herein, it is our opinion that:

     1.  The Company is a corporation duly formed and existing under and by 
virtue of the laws of the State of Maryland and is in good standing with the 
SDAT.

     2.  Upon the due execution, countersignature and delivery of 
certificates representing the Shares or issuance of the Shares in uncertificated
form, the Shares will be duly authorized and, when and if issued in accordance 
with the Resolutions, will be (assuming that, upon issuance, the total number 
of shares of Series D Cumulative Redeemable Preferred Stock issued and 
outstanding will not exceed the total number of shares of Series D Cumulative 
Redeemable Preferred Stock that the Company is then authorized to issue under 
the Charter) duly and validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable.

     The foregoing opinion is limited to the substantive laws of the State of 
Maryland and we do not express any opinion

<PAGE>

Meridian Industrial Trust, Inc.
June 25, 1998
Page 4

herein concerning any other law. We express no opinion as to the 
applicability or effect of any federal or state securities laws, including 
the securities laws of the State of Maryland, or as to federal or state laws 
regarding fraudulent transfers. To the extent that any matter as to which our 
opinion is expressed herein would be governed by any jurisdiction other than 
the State of Maryland, we do not express any opinion on such matter.

     We assume no obligation to supplement this opinion if any applicable law 
changes after the date hereof or if we become aware of any fact that might 
change the opinion expressed herein after the date hereof.

     This opinion is being furnished to you for your submission to the 
Commission as an exhibit to the 8-K and incorporation by reference into the
Registration Statement and, accordingly, may not be relied upon by, quoted in 
any manner to, or delivered to any other person or entity (other than Vinson & 
Elkins, counsel to the Company) without, in each instance, our prior written 
consent.

     We hereby consent to the filing of this opinion as an exhibit to the 8-K 
and to the use of the name of our firm therein. In giving this consent, we do 
not admit that we are within the category of persons whose consent is 
required by Section 7 of the 1933 Act.

                                  Very truly yours,

                                  /s/ Ballard Spahr Andrews & Ingersoll, LLP



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