Note 5 - Other Real Estate Investments (Details) (USD $)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015		Mar. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2014
Note 5 - Other Real Estate Investments (Details) [Line Items]
Equity Method Investments	$ 886,328,000			$ 1,037,218,000
Income (Loss) from Equity Method Investments	97,550,000		53,261,000
Payments to Acquire Interest in Joint Venture	29,720,000		18,988,000
Secured Debt	2,042,014,000	[1]		1,424,228,000	[1]
Preferred Equity Investments [Member] | Leased Properties [Member]
Note 5 - Other Real Estate Investments (Details) [Line Items]
Number of Real Estate Properties	385
Preferred Equity Investments [Member]
Note 5 - Other Real Estate Investments (Details) [Line Items]
Equity Method Investments	227,200,000
Number of Real Estate Properties	443
Income (Loss) from Equity Method Investments	5,600,000		7,800,000
Equity Method Investment, Realized Gain (Loss) on Disposal			2,200,000
Number of Capital Transactions			1
ABS Venture [Member] | Two Partners [Member]
Note 5 - Other Real Estate Investments (Details) [Line Items]
Payments to Acquire Interest in Joint Venture	105,000,000
ABS Venture [Member]
Note 5 - Other Real Estate Investments (Details) [Line Items]
Payments to Acquire Additional Interest in Subsidiaries	85,300,000
AB Acquisition [Member] | ABS Venture [Member]
Note 5 - Other Real Estate Investments (Details) [Line Items]
Noncontrolling Interest, Ownership Percentage by Noncontrolling Owners	14.35%
AB Acquisition [Member]
Note 5 - Other Real Estate Investments (Details) [Line Items]
Noncontrolling Interest, Ownership Percentage by Noncontrolling Owners	9.80%
Safeway [Member] | Other Assets [Member]
Note 5 - Other Real Estate Investments (Details) [Line Items]
Cost Method Investments	190,300,000
Safeway [Member]
Note 5 - Other Real Estate Investments (Details) [Line Items]
Noncontrolling Interest Liability	65,000,000
Cost Method Investments, Increase (Decrease) in Additional Paid-in Capital	24,000,000
Cost Method Investment, Deferred Tax Effect	16,000,000
Leveraged Lease [Member]
Note 5 - Other Real Estate Investments (Details) [Line Items]
Number of Real Estate Properties				11
Equity Method Investment, Realized Gain (Loss) on Disposal	2,100,000
Equity Method Investment, Ownership Percentage				90.00%
Secured Debt				11,200,000
Proceeds from Sale of Equity Method Investments	$ 22,000,000
Albertson's, NAI and Safeway [Member]
Note 5 - Other Real Estate Investments (Details) [Line Items]
Number of Stores	2,230
Number of States in which Entity Operates	34

[1] The Company determined that its valuation of Mortgages payable was classified within Level 3 of the fair value hierarchy.