Property and Equipment

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2017

Property, Plant and Equipment [Abstract]

Property and Equipment

Property and Equipment

Property and equipment consist of the following at fiscal year end:

	Useful Life	2017			2016
	(Years)	(In thousands)
Land	—	$	129,421		$	116,517
Buildings and improvements	2 to 50	2,009,279			1,853,409
Leasehold improvements	1 to 29	288,614			270,760
Equipment	3 to 10	193,281			186,095
Furniture, fixtures and computer software	1 to 7	57,204			52,225
Facility construction in progress		74,312			14,574
Total		$	2,752,111		$	2,493,580
Less accumulated depreciation and amortization		(673,988		)	(596,339		)
Property and equipment, net		$	2,078,123		$	1,897,241

The Company depreciates its leasehold improvements over the shorter of their estimated useful lives or the terms of the leases including renewal periods that are reasonably assured. The Company’s construction in progress primarily consists of expansions to facilities that are owned by the Company. Interest capitalized in property and equipment for the years ended December 31, 2017 and December 31, 2016 was not significant.

Depreciation expense was $98.9 million, $92.8 million and $85.9 million, respectively, for the years ended December 31, 2017, 2016 and 2015, respectively.

At both December 31, 2017 and 2016, the Company had $17.1 million of assets recorded under capital leases related to land, buildings and improvements. Capital leases are recorded net of accumulated amortization of $12.2 million and $11.2 million, at December 31, 2017 and 2016, respectively. Depreciation expense related to assets recorded under capital leases for each of the years ended December 31, 2017, 2016 and 2015 was $1.0 million and is included in Depreciation and Amortization in the accompanying consolidated statements of operations.