<?xml version="1.0"?>
<ownershipDocument>

    <schemaVersion>X0202</schemaVersion>

    <documentType>3</documentType>

    <periodOfReport>2007-03-29</periodOfReport>

    <noSecuritiesOwned>0</noSecuritiesOwned>

    <issuer>
        <issuerCik>0000914713</issuerCik>
        <issuerName>MILLS CORP</issuerName>
        <issuerTradingSymbol>MLS</issuerTradingSymbol>
    </issuer>

    <reportingOwner>
        <reportingOwnerId>
            <rptOwnerCik>0001063761</rptOwnerCik>
            <rptOwnerName>SIMON PROPERTY GROUP INC /DE/</rptOwnerName>
        </reportingOwnerId>
        <reportingOwnerAddress>
            <rptOwnerStreet1>225 W. WASHINGTON STREET</rptOwnerStreet1>
            <rptOwnerStreet2></rptOwnerStreet2>
            <rptOwnerCity>INDIANAPOLIS</rptOwnerCity>
            <rptOwnerState>IN</rptOwnerState>
            <rptOwnerZipCode>46204</rptOwnerZipCode>
            <rptOwnerStateDescription></rptOwnerStateDescription>
        </reportingOwnerAddress>
        <reportingOwnerRelationship>
            <isDirector>0</isDirector>
            <isOfficer>0</isOfficer>
            <isTenPercentOwner>1</isTenPercentOwner>
            <isOther>0</isOther>
        </reportingOwnerRelationship>
    </reportingOwner>

    <reportingOwner>
        <reportingOwnerId>
            <rptOwnerCik>0001022344</rptOwnerCik>
            <rptOwnerName>SIMON PROPERTY GROUP L P /DE/</rptOwnerName>
        </reportingOwnerId>
        <reportingOwnerAddress>
            <rptOwnerStreet1>225 W. WASHINGTON STREET</rptOwnerStreet1>
            <rptOwnerStreet2></rptOwnerStreet2>
            <rptOwnerCity>INDIANAPOLIS</rptOwnerCity>
            <rptOwnerState>IN</rptOwnerState>
            <rptOwnerZipCode>46204</rptOwnerZipCode>
            <rptOwnerStateDescription></rptOwnerStateDescription>
        </reportingOwnerAddress>
        <reportingOwnerRelationship>
            <isDirector>0</isDirector>
            <isOfficer>0</isOfficer>
            <isTenPercentOwner>1</isTenPercentOwner>
            <isOther>0</isOther>
        </reportingOwnerRelationship>
    </reportingOwner>

    <nonDerivativeTable>
        <nonDerivativeHolding>
            <securityTitle>
                <value>Common Stock, par value $0.01 per share</value>
            </securityTitle>
            <postTransactionAmounts>
                <sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
                    <value>48935908</value>
                </sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
            </postTransactionAmounts>
            <ownershipNature>
                <directOrIndirectOwnership>
                    <value>I</value>
                </directOrIndirectOwnership>
                <natureOfOwnership>
                    <value>See Note</value>
                    <footnoteId id="F1"/>
                    <footnoteId id="F2"/>
                </natureOfOwnership>
            </ownershipNature>
        </nonDerivativeHolding>
    </nonDerivativeTable>

    <footnotes>
        <footnote id="F1">Represents shares of common stock, par value $0.01 per share, of The Mills Corporation (the &quot;Shares&quot;), accepted for payment by SPG-FCM Ventures, LLC pursuant to its tender offer for all outstanding Shares, and does not include the 22,000,000 Shares for which SPG-FCM Acquisition, Inc. has given notice to exercise its option to acquire, under the Short Form Merger Option Agreement dated February 12, 2007 among The Mills Corporation, SPG-FCM Ventures, LLC and SPG-FCM Acquisition, Inc.  The number of Shares reported includes all shares tendered pursuant to notice of guaranteed delivery.</footnote>
        <footnote id="F2">SPG-FCM Ventures, LLC (the &quot;Joint Venture&quot;) is an indirect subsidiary of Simon Property Group, Inc., and Simon Property Group, L.P. (collectively the &quot;Simon Entities&quot;) and Farallon Capital Partners, L.P., a California limited partnership, Farallon Capital Institutional Partners II, L.P., a California limited partnership, Farallon Capital Institutional Partners III, L.P., a Delaware limited partnership and Tinicum Partners, L.P., a New York limited partnership, (collectively, the &quot;Farallon Entities&quot;).  As a result of this relationship, the Joint Venture, the Simon Entities and the Farallon Entities collectively may be deemed to constitute a &quot;group&quot; within the meaning of Section 13(d)(3) of the Securities and Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and may be deemed to beneficially own more than 10% of the Issuer.</footnote>
    </footnotes>

    <ownerSignature>
        <signatureName>SIMON PROPERTY GROUP, INC. By:  Richard S. Sokolov</signatureName>
        <signatureDate>2007-03-29</signatureDate>
    </ownerSignature>

    <ownerSignature>
        <signatureName>SIMON PROPERTY GROUP, L.P. By:  Richard S. Sokolov</signatureName>
        <signatureDate>2007-03-29</signatureDate>
    </ownerSignature>
</ownershipDocument>
