Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2018

Deferred Costs, Capitalized, Prepaid, and Other Assets Disclosure [Table Text Block]

Deferred leasing costs and acquired lease-related intangible assets at December 31, 2018 and 2017, excluding amounts classified as held-for-sale, were as follows (in thousands):



	2018			2017
Deferred leasing costs	$	307,486		$	312,206
Acquired lease-related intangible assets	207,057			189,927
	$	514,543		$	502,133

Accumulated amortization - deferred leasing costs	$	(101,403	)	$	(108,177	)
Accumulated amortization - acquired lease-related intangible assets	(99,341		)	(101,274		)
Total	$	313,799		$	292,682

Schedule of Future Amortized Expense and Charge to Rental Income

The expected future amortization, or charge to rental income, of acquired lease-related intangible assets is summarized in the table below (in thousands):



Year	Amortization Expense		Charge to Rental Income
2019	$	20,918	$	703
2020	17,195		639
2021	14,142		367
2022	11,272		353
2023	9,581		353
Thereafter	32,134		59
	$	105,242	$	2,474

Schedule of Earnings Per Share, Basic and Diluted

The following table reconciles the components of basic and diluted net income per common share or Common Unit (in thousands):



	2018			2017			2016
General Partner
Net income attributable to common shareholders	$	383,729		$	1,634,431		$	312,143
Less: Dividends on participating securities	(1,675		)	(3,981		)	(2,356		)
Basic net income attributable to common shareholders	382,054			1,630,450			309,787
Add back dividends on dilutive participating securities	1,675			3,981			2,356
Noncontrolling interest in earnings of common unitholders	3,528			15,176			3,089
Diluted net income attributable to common shareholders	$	387,257		$	1,649,607		$	315,232
Weighted average number of common shares outstanding	357,569			355,762			349,942
Weighted average Limited Partner Units outstanding	3,290			3,303			3,481
Other potential dilutive shares	2,438			2,946			3,653
Weighted average number of common shares and potential dilutive securities	363,297			362,011			357,076

Partnership
Net income attributable to common unitholders	$	387,257		$	1,649,607		$	315,232
Less: Distributions on participating securities	(1,675		)	(3,981		)	(2,356		)
Basic net income attributable to common unitholders	$	385,582		$	1,645,626		$	312,876
Add back distributions on dilutive participating securities	1,675			3,981			2,356
Diluted net income attributable to common unitholders	$	387,257		$	1,649,607		$	315,232
Weighted average number of Common Units outstanding	360,859			359,065			353,423
Other potential dilutive units	2,438			2,946			3,653
Weighted average number of Common Units and potential dilutive securities	363,297			362,011			357,076

Schedule of Antidilutive Securities Excluded from Computation of Earnings Per Share

The following table summarizes the data that is excluded from the computation of net income per common share or Common Unit as a result of being anti-dilutive (in thousands):



	2018	2017	2016
General Partner and Partnership
Other potential dilutive shares or units:
Anti-dilutive outstanding potential shares or units under fixed stock option and other stock-based compensation plans	—	—	175
Anti-dilutive outstanding participating securities	—	—	—

Reconciliation of Net Income to Taxable Income Before Dividends Paid Deduction

The following table reconciles the General Partner's net income to taxable income before the dividends paid deduction, and subject to the 90% distribution requirement, for the years ended December 31, 2018, 2017 and 2016 (in thousands):



	2018			2017			2016
Net income	$	387,268		$	1,654,341		$	315,278
Book/tax differences	(97,218		)	(1,073,552		)	(61,133		)
Taxable income before the dividends paid deduction	290,050			580,789			254,145
Less: capital gains	(62,858		)	(441,577		)	(63,550		)
Adjusted taxable income subject to the 90% distribution requirement	$	227,192		$	139,212		$	190,595

Computation of Dividends Paid Deduction

The General Partner's dividends paid deduction is summarized below (in thousands):



	2018			2017			2016
Cash dividends paid	$	291,502		$	576,832		$	255,279
Cash dividends declared and paid in subsequent year that apply to current year	6,500			7,901			—
Cash dividends declared and paid in current year that apply to previous year	(7,901		)	—			—
Less: Return of capital	—			—			(6,717		)
Plus: Deemed REIT distribution	—			—			6,717
Dividends paid deduction	290,101			584,733			255,279
Less: Capital gain distributions	(62,858		)	(441,577		)	(63,550		)
Dividends paid deduction attributable to adjusted taxable income subject to the 90% distribution requirement	$	227,243		$	143,156		$	191,729

Summary of Tax Characterization of Dividends Paid

A summary of the tax characterization of the dividends paid by the General Partner for the years ended December 31, 2018, 2017 and 2016 is as follows:



	2018		2017		2016
Common Shares
Ordinary income	78.4	%	23.7	%	72.6	%
Return of capital	—		—		2.6	%
Capital gains	21.6	%	76.3	%	24.8	%
	100.0	%	100.0	%	100.0	%

Fair Value Measurements, Nonrecurring [Table Text Block]

The table below aggregates the total fair value of these impaired assets as determined during the years ended December 31, 2018, 2017 and 2016, respectively, by the levels in the fair value hierarchy (in thousands):



	2018				2017				2016
	Level 1	Level 2	Level 3		Level 1	Level 2	Level 3		Level 1	Level 2	Level 3
Real estate assets	—	—	$	—	—	—	$	14,299	—	—	$	34,744

Schedule of Cash and Cash Equivalents [Table Text Block]

The following table provides a reconciliation of cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash reported within the Consolidated Balance Sheets that sum to the total of the same such amounts shown in the Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows (in thousands):



	December 31, 2018		December 31, 2017
Cash and cash equivalents	$	17,901	$	67,562
Restricted cash held in escrow for like-kind exchange	—		116,405
Restricted cash included in other escrow deposits and other assets	7,616		9,660
Total cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash shown in the Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows	$	25,517	$	193,627