Consolidated Statements of Operations (USD $)	11 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2014	Jan. 31, 2013
Revenues [Abstract]
Rental	$ 537,703,000	$ 526,966,000	$ 588,336,000
Tenant recoveries	134,330,000	118,035,000	154,548,000
Service and management fees	57,156,000	50,522,000	53,277,000
Parking and other	49,067,000	53,765,000	49,901,000
Arena	104,532,000	116,695,000	48,353,000
Land sales	67,057,000	68,102,000	92,434,000
Military Housing	48,427,000	31,967,000	61,218,000
Total revenues	998,272,000	966,052,000	1,048,067,000
Expenses
Property operating and management	394,538,000	384,119,000	407,755,000
Real estate taxes	81,630,000	78,637,000	77,736,000
Ground rent	6,128,000	9,387,000	7,358,000
Arena operating	72,659,000	76,096,000	49,175,000
Cost of land sales	35,638,000	23,457,000	31,383,000
Military Housing operating	30,204,000	11,481,000	35,375,000
Corporate general and administrative	45,021,000	51,116,000	52,450,000
Total operating expenses	665,818,000	634,293,000	661,232,000
Depreciation and amortization	273,054,000	230,466,000	212,254,000
Write-offs of abandoned development projects and demolition costs	40,414,000	1,655,000	26,850,000
Impairment of real estate	421,361,000	277,095,000	30,660,000
Net (gain) loss on land held for divestiture activity	7,382,000	0	(6,480,000)
Total expenses	1,408,029,000	1,143,509,000	924,516,000
Operating income (loss)	(409,757,000)	(177,457,000)	123,551,000
Interest and other income	52,283,000	42,780,000	45,545,000
Net loss on disposition of partial interest in development project	0	(20,298,000)	0
Net gain on disposition of full or partial interest in rental properties	496,092,000	30,281,000	0
Net gain on change in control of interests	2,762,000	230,660,000	8,351,000
Interest expense	(285,042,000)	(234,405,000)	(253,324,000)
Amortization of mortgage procurement costs	(8,375,000)	(8,518,000)	(10,966,000)
Gain (loss) on extinguishment of debt	4,549,000	(1,179,000)	7,096,000
Earnings (loss) before income taxes	(147,488,000)	(138,136,000)	(79,747,000)
Income tax expense (benefit)
Current	562,000	4,931,000	(60,444,000)
Deferred	11,704,000	(22,127,000)	46,523,000
Total income tax expense (benefit)	12,266,000	(17,196,000)	(13,921,000)
Earnings (loss) from unconsolidated entities, gross of tax
Equity in earnings	107,825,000	90,032,000	85,798,000
Impairment	0	(3,124,000)	(390,000)
Net gain (loss) on land held for divestiture activity	1,338,000	0	(40,777,000)
Total equity in earnings of unconsolidated entities	109,163,000	86,908,000	44,631,000
Earnings (loss) from continuing operations	(50,591,000)	(34,032,000)	(21,195,000)
Discontinued operations, net of tax:
Operating earnings (loss) from rental properties	2,203,000	(1,844,000)	4,564,000
Impairment of real estate	(46,962,000)	0	(2,604,000)
Gain on disposition of rental properties	24,560,000	14,856,000	55,506,000
Earnings (loss) from discontinued operations	(20,199,000)	13,012,000	57,466,000
Net earnings (loss)	(70,790,000)	(21,020,000)	36,271,000
Noncontrolling interests
(Earnings) loss from continuing operations attributable to noncontrolling interests, gross of tax	71,525,000	13,475,000	1,251,000
Earnings from discontinued operations attributable to noncontrolling interests	(6,042,000)	(50,000)	(1,097,000)
(Earnings) loss attributable to noncontrolling interest	65,483,000	13,425,000	154,000
Net earnings (loss) attributable to Forest City Enterprises, Inc.	(5,307,000)	(7,595,000)	36,425,000
Preferred dividends and inducements of preferred stock conversions	185,000	0	32,129,000
Net earnings (loss) attributable to common shareholders	$ (5,492,000)	$ (7,595,000)	$ 4,296,000
Basic and diluted earnings (loss) per common share
Earnings (loss) from continuing operations attributable to common shareholders	$ 0.10	$ (0.10)	$ (0.30)
Earnings (loss) from discontinued operations attributable to common shareholders	$ (0.13)	$ 0.06	$ 0.31
Net earnings (loss) attributable to common shareholders	$ (0.03)	$ (0.04)	$ 0.01