SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                            Washington, D.C. 20549

                                   FORM 8-K

                                CURRENT REPORT

Pursuant to Section 14 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934

Date of Report: December 4, 1995
                ----------------

                        Federal Realty Investment Trust
            ------------------------------------------------------
            (Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

    District of Columbia             1-7533              52-0782497      
- ----------------------------      -----------        -------------------
(State or other jurisdiction      (Commission          (IRS Employer
     of incorporation)            File Number)       Identification No.)

4800 Hampden Lane, Suite 500, Bethesda, Maryland            20814
- ------------------------------------------------          ---------
    (Address of principal executive offices)              (Zip Code)      

Registrant's telephone number including area code: 301/652-3360
                                                   ------------

Exhibit Index appears on page 3
- -------------------------------


 
Item 5. Other Events

        Exhibits are filed herewith in connection with Federal Realty Investment
Trust's final prospectus supplement dated December 4, 1995 to its final 
prospectus dated November 7, 1995 (Registration No. 33-63687) filed with the 
Securities and Exchange Commission on December 5, 1995 and relating to the 
Trust's offering of $40,000,000 principal amount of 6-5/8% Notes Due 2005. 
Attached as Exhibit 5 hereto is an opinion from Kirkpatrick & Lockhart LLP 
regarding the legality of the Notes. The consent of Kirkpatrick & Lockhart to 
the inclusion of such opinion in this Form 8-K is included in the opinion.

Item 7. Financial Statements and Exhibits

Exhibit 5   Opinion Regarding Legality

Exhibit 23  Consent of Counsel (included in Exhibit 5)

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 hereto duly authorized.

                                        FEDERAL REALTY INVESTMENT TRUST

                                        /s/ Cecily A. Ward
                                        -------------------------------
                                        Cecily A. Ward
                                        Controller (Principal Accounting 
                                          Officer)

Date: December 8, 1995


                                       2

 
                                 EXHIBIT INDEX

ITEM NO. PAGE NO. 5 Opinion regarding Legality 23 Consent of Counsel (included in the opinion)
3

 
                                                                       Exhibit 5

                  [LETTERHEAD OF KIRKPATRICK & LOCKHART LLP]

                               December 8, 1995

Federal Realty Investment Trust
4800 Hampden Lane, Suite 500
Bethesda, Maryland 20184

Ladies and Gentlemen:

        You have requested our opinion as counsel to Federal Realty Investment 
Trust, a business trust organized under the laws of the District of Columbia 
with its headquarters located in Bethesda, Maryland ("Trust"), in connection 
with a Prospectus Supplement, dated December 4, 1995 to the Trust's Prospectus, 
dated November 7, 1995 (registration statement No. 33-63687) ("Registration 
Statement") relating to the Trust's offering and sale of $40,000,000 principal 
amount of 6-5/8% Notes Due 2005 ("Notes") pursuant to an underwriting agreement 
and a pricing agreement, each dated December 4, 1995 (together, the 
"Underwriting Agreement") between the Trust and Alex. Brown & Sons Incorporated.
The Notes are being issued pursuant to an indenture dated December 1, 1993 
("Indenture") between the Trust and Signet Trust Company ("Trustee"), and, when 
issued, will be direct, unsecured obligations of the Trust.

        We have participated in the preparation of the Registration Statement, 
and in connection therewith, have examined and relied upon the originals or 
copies of such records, agreements, documents and other instruments, including 
the Third Amended and Restated Declaration of Trust of the Trust ("Declaration 
of Trust"), the Bylaws of the Trust, the minutes of the meetings of the Trustees
to date relating to the authorization and issuance of the Notes and have made 
such inquiries of such officers and representatives as we have deemed relevant 
and necessary as the basis for the opinion hereinafter set forth. In such 
examination, we have assumed, without independent verification, the genuineness 
of all signatures (whether original or photostatic), the legal capacity of 
natural persons, the authenticity of all documents submitted to us as originals,
and the conformity to authentic original documents of all documents submitted to
us as certified or photostatic copies. We have assumed, without independent 
verification, the accuracy of the relevant facts stated therein.

        As to any other facts material to the opinion expressed herein that were
not independently established or verified, we have relied upon statements and 
representations of officers and employees of the Trust.

 
Federal Realty Investment Trust
December 8, 1995
Page 2

        Based upon the foregoing and subject to the qualifications set forth 
below, we are of the opinion that:

        The Notes have been duly authorized and executed by the Trust and 
delivered by the Trust, authenticated in accordance with the terms of the 
Indenture, and when delivered against payment therefor as contemplated in the 
Underwriting Agreement, the Notes will constitute valid and legally binding 
obligations of the Trust in accordance with their terms, except to the extent 
that enforcement thereof may be limited by bankruptcy, insolvency, 
reorganization or other laws relating to or affecting enforcement of creditors' 
rights or by general equity principles.

        To the extent that the obligations of the Trust under the Indenture may 
be dependent upon such matters, we assume for purposes of this opinion that the 
Trustee is duly organized, validly existing and in good standing under the 
applicable laws of the jurisdiction of organization of the Trustee; that the 
Trustee is in compliance generally with respect to acting as a trustee under the
Indenture, and with all applicable laws and regulations; and that the Trustee 
has the requisite organizational and legal power and authority to perform its 
obligation under the Indenture.

        We hereby consent to the filing of this opinion as an exhibit to the 
Trust's Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the Securities and Exchange 
Commission on December 8, 1995.

                                        Very truly yours,

                                        KIRKPATRICK & LOCKHART LLP

                                        By: /s/ Thomas F. Cooney, III
                                           --------------------------
                                           Thomas F. Cooney, III