SCHEDULE 14A INFORMATION
                PROXY STATEMENT PURSUANT TO SECTION 14(A) OF THE
                         SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

Filed  by  the  Registrant     [X]
Filed  by  a  Party  other  than  the  Registrant     [  ]

Check  the  appropriate  box:



                                                               
[ ]  Preliminary Proxy Statement                                  [ ]  Confidential, for Use of the Commission Only
[ ]  Definitive Proxy Statement                                        (as permitted by Rule 14a-6(e) (2))
[ ]  Definitive Additional Materials
[X]  Soliciting Material Pursuant to Rule 14a-12



                              IRT PROPERTY COMPANY
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                (Name of Registrant as Specified In Its Charter)

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    (Name of Person(s) Filing Proxy Statement, if other than the Registrant)

Payment  of  Filing  Fee  (Check  the  appropriate  box):

[X]   No  fee  required.
[ ]   Fee computed on table below per Exchange Act Rules 14a-6(i)(1) and 0-11.

      (1)   Title of each class of securities to which transaction applies:

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

      (2)   Aggregate  number of securities to which transaction applies:

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

      (3)   Per unit price or other underlying value of transaction computed
            pursuant to Exchange Act Rule 0-11 (Set forth the amount on which
            the filing  fee  is calculated and state how it was determined):

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

      (4)   Proposed  maximum  aggregate  value  of  transaction:

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

      (5)   Total  fee  paid:

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

[ ]   Fee  paid  previously  with  preliminary  materials.

[ ]   Check  box  if any part of the  fee is  offset as provided by Exchange Act
      Rule  0-11(a)(2) and  identify the filing for which the offsetting fee was
      paid  previously. Identify  the  previous filing by registration statement
      number,  or  the  Form  or  Schedule  and  the  date  of  its  filing.

      (1)   Amount  Previously  Paid:

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

      (2)   Form,  Schedule  or  Registration  Statement  No.:

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

      (3)   Filing  Party:

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

      (4)   Date  Filed:

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


          IRT PROPERTY COMPANY ANNOUNCES KMART WILL CLOSE ONE LOCATION

ATLANTA  (January  15,  2003) -- IRT Property Company (NYSE:IRT) announced today
that  only one of the Company's six Kmart locations has been included on Kmart's
latest  store  closing  list. The Company has been notified that the location at
Spalding  Village,  a  235,318-square-foot  shopping center in Griffin, GA, will
close.  IRT  has  been  notified  that  Kmart intends to keep its five remaining
locations open. On an annualized basis, the 86,479-square-foot lease at Spalding
Village  accounts  for  approximately  $0.01 per share of funds from operations,
including  base  rents and all related charges of property taxes and common area
maintenance.

     Thomas  H. McAuley, chairman and chief executive officer, stated, "Although
we are disappointed Kmart has decided to close this location, the combination of
additional  anchors at Spalding Village, such as Kroger and J.C. Penney, and the
favorable  demographics  of this location should enable us to release this space
relatively  quickly."

     A self-administered equity real estate investment trust, IRT specializes in
Southeastern  United  States  shopping  centers.  Anchor tenants include Publix,
Kroger,  Harris  Teeter,  Wal-Mart and other popular national and regional chain
stores.  The  portfolio of 89 shopping center investments includes approximately
9.7  million  square  feet  of retail space.  For additional information, please
visit  the  company's  Web  site  at  www.irtproperty.com.

     Equity  One  has  filed  a registration statement on Form S-4, containing a
joint  proxy  statement/prospectus  and  other  relevant documents, with the SEC
concerning the proposed merger between Equity One and IRT. You are urged to read
the  registration  statement containing the joint proxy statement/prospectus and
any  other relevant documents filed or that will be filed with the SEC when they
become  available  because  they will contain important information about Equity
One,  IRT  and  the merger. You may obtain the registration statement containing
the  joint  proxy statement/prospectus and other documents free of charge at the
SEC's  web  site,  www.sec.gov.  The  joint proxy statement/prospectus and these
other  documents  may  also  be obtained for free from Equity One by directing a
request to Equity One, 1696 N.E. Miami Gardens Drive, North Miami Beach, Florida
33179,  Attention: Investor Relations, telephone: (305) 947-1664 and from IRT by
directing  a  request to IRT Property Company, 200 Galleria Parkway, Suite 1400,
Atlanta,  Georgia  30339,  Attention:  Investor  Relations,  telephone:  (770)
955-4406.


     Equity  One  and IRT, and their respective directors and executive officers
and  other  members  of  their  management  and  employees,  may be deemed to be
participants  in the solicitation of proxies from the stockholders of Equity One
and  IRT  in  connection  with  the  merger. Information about the directors and
executive officers of Equity One and their ownership of Equity One shares is set
forth  in  the  proxy  statement  for  Equity  One's  2002  annual  meeting  of
stockholders.  Information about the directors and executive officers of IRT and
their  ownership of IRT stock is set forth in the proxy statement for IRT's 2002
annual  meeting  of  shareholders.  Investors  may obtain additional information
regarding  the  interests  of  such  participants  by  reading  the  joint proxy
statement/prospectus  when  it  becomes  available.

     In  addition  to  historical  information,  this  press release may include
forward-looking  statements  within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities
Act  of  1933  and  Section  21E  of  the  Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Such
forward-looking  statements  are  based  on  information  presently available to
management  and  are  subject  to  various  risks  and uncertainties, including,
without  limitation, those described in the Company's annual report on Form 10-K
for the year ended December 31, 2001, under "Special Cautionary Notice Regarding
Forward  Looking  Statements" and "Risk Factors," and otherwise in the Company's
SEC  reports  and  filings.