Accounting Policies | Accounting Policies General Forest City Realty Trust, Inc. (with its subsidiaries, the “Company”) principally engages in the operation, development, management and acquisition of office, apartment and retail real estate and land throughout the United States. The Company had approximately $8.2 billion of consolidated assets i n 20 s tates and the District of Columbia at June 30, 2017 . The Company’s core markets include Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Denver, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, and the greater metropolitan areas of New York City, San Francisco and Washington D.C. The Company has regional offices in Boston, Dallas, Denver, Los Angeles, New York City, San Francisco, Washington, D.C., and the Company’s corporate headquarters in Cleveland, Ohio. Basis of Presentation The accompanying consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“GAAP”) for interim financial information and the instructions to Form 10-Q, and should be read in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements and related notes included in the Company’s annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2016 . The results of interim periods are not necessarily indicative of results for the full year or any subsequent period. In management’s opinion, all adjustments (consisting solely of normal recurring matters) necessary for a fair statement of financial position, results of operations and cash flows as of and for the periods presented have been included. Company Operations The Company believes it is organized in a manner that enables it to qualify, and intends to operate in a manner allowing it to continue to qualify, as a REIT for federal income tax purposes. As such, the Company intends to elect REIT status for its taxable year ended December 31, 2016, upon filing the 2016 Form 1120-REIT with the Internal Revenue Service on or before October 15, 2017. The Company holds substantially all of its assets, and conducts substantially all of its business, through Forest City Enterprises, L.P. (the “Operating Partnership”). The Company is the sole general partner of the Operating Partnership and, as of June 30, 2017 , the Company owns all of the limited partnership interests in the Operating Partnership. The Company holds and operates certain of its assets through one or more taxable REIT subsidiaries (“TRSs”). A TRS is a subsidiary of a REIT subject to applicable corporate income tax. The Company’s use of TRSs enables it to continue to engage in certain businesses while complying with REIT qualification requirements and allows the Company to retain income generated by these businesses for reinvestment without the requirement of distributing those earnings. The primary businesses held in TRSs include 461 Dean Street, an apartment building in Brooklyn, New York , South Bay Galleria and Antelope Valley Mall , regional malls in Redondo Beach, California and Palmdale, California, respectively, Pacific Park Brooklyn project, land development operations, Barclays Center arena (sold in January 2016), the Nets (sold in January 2016), and military housing operations (sold in February 2016). In the future, the Company may elect to reorganize and transfer certain assets or operations from its TRSs to other subsidiaries, including qualified REIT subsidiaries. Segments The Company is organized around real estate operations, real estate development and corporate support functions. Real Estate Operations represents the performance of the Company’s core rental real estate portfolio and is comprised of the following reportable operating segments: • Office - owns, acquires and operates office and life science buildings. • Apartments - owns, acquires and operates upscale and middle-market apartments, adaptive re-use developments and subsidized senior housing. • Retail - owns, acquires and operates amenity retail within our mixed-use projects, regional malls and specialty/urban retail centers. The remaining reportable operating segments consist of the following: • Development - develops and constructs office and life science buildings, apartments, condominiums, amenity retail, regional malls, specialty/urban retail centers and mixed-use projects. The Development segment includes recently opened operating properties prior to stabilization and the horizontal development and sale of land to residential, commercial and industrial customers primarily at its Stapleton project in Denver, Colorado. • Corporate - provides executive oversight to the company and various support services for Operations, Development and Corporate employees. • Other - owned and operated several non-core investments, including the Barclays Center, a sports and entertainment arena located in Brooklyn, New York (“Arena”) (sold in January 2016), the Company’s equity method investment in the Brooklyn Nets (the “Nets”) (sold in January 2016), and military housing operations (sold in February 2016). Segment Transfers The Development segment includes projects in development and projects under construction along with recently opened operating properties prior to stabilization. Projects will be reported in their applicable operating segment (Office, Apartments or Retail) beginning on January 1 of the year following stabilization. Therefore, the Development segment will continue to report results from recently opened properties until the year-end following initial stabilization. The Company generally defines stabilized properties as achieving 92% or greater occupancy or having been open and operating for one or two years, depending on the size of the project. Once a stabilized property is transferred to the applicable Operations segment on January 1, it will be considered “comparable” beginning on the following January 1. Use of Estimates The preparation of consolidated financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires the Company to make estimates and assumptions in certain circumstances that affect amounts reported in the accompanying consolidated financial statements and related notes. Some of the critical estimates made by the Company include, but are not limited to, determination of the primary beneficiary of variable interest entities (“VIEs”), estimates of useful lives for long-lived assets, reserves for collection on accounts and notes receivable and other investments, gain on change of control of interests, impairment of real estate and other-than-temporary impairments on equity method investments. Actual results could differ from those estimates. Reclassifications The Company recently completed an internal reorganization and began presenting new reportable operating segments during the three months ended September 30, 2016. The prior period has been recast to conform to the current period presentation. Concurrent with the Company’s internal reorganization, certain functions previously performed within the old business unit structure were centralized into the corporate segment. The Company analyzed the allocation methodology of the new corporate functions and the historic corporate functions and how it relates to support services provided to the new segments within the Company’s new organizational structure. As a result of this analysis, certain expenses previously recorded in the old business units and reported on the property operating and management expenses financial statement line item are recorded in the corporate segment and included in the corporate general and administrative expense financial statement line item. To conform to the current year presentation, $800,000 and $2,260,000 have been reclassed from property operating and management expenses to corporate general and administrative expenses for the three and six months ended June 30, 2016 , respectively. Certain other prior period amounts in the accompanying consolidated financial statements have been reclassified to conform to the current year’s presentation. Variable Interest Entities As of June 30, 2017 , the Company determined it was the primary beneficiary of 46 VIEs. The creditors of the consolidated VIEs do not have recourse to the Company’s general credit. As of June 30, 2017 , the Company determined it was not the primary beneficiary of 41 VIEs and accounts for these interests as equity method investments. The maximum exposure to loss of these unconsolidated VIEs is limited to the Company’s investment balance of $150,000,000 as of June 30, 2017 . New Accounting Guidance The following accounting pronouncements were adopted during the six months ended June 30, 2017 : In March 2016, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued an amendment to the accounting guidance to simplify several aspects of the accounting for share-based payment transactions, including the income tax consequences, classification of awards as either equity or liabilities, and classification on the statement of cash flows. This guidance is effective for annual periods beginning after December 15, 2016, and interim periods within those annual periods. The adoption of this guidance effective January 1, 2017 did not have a material impact on the Company’s consolidated financial statements. In August 2016, the FASB issued an amendment to the accounting guidance on the classification of certain transactions on the statement of cash flows where diversity in practice currently exists. The guidance addresses certain specific cash flow issues, including, but not limited to, debt prepayment or debt extinguishment costs and distributions received from equity method investments. This guidance is effective for fiscal years, and for interim reporting periods within those fiscal years, beginning after December 15, 2017. Early adoption is permitted, and the Company has elected to adopt this guidance effective January 1, 2017. The adoption of this guidance did not have a material impact on the Company’s Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows. In January 2017, the FASB issued an amendment to the accounting guidance for business combinations to clarify the definition of a business. The objective of this guidance is to assist entities with evaluating whether transactions should be accounted for as acquisitions (or disposals) of assets or businesses. This guidance is effective for annual periods beginning after December 15, 2017, and interim periods within those annual periods. Early adoption is permitted, and the Company has elected to adopt this guidance effective January 1, 2017. The impact on the Company’s consolidated financial statements resulting from the adoption of this guidance will depend on the Company’s level of acquisitions, but will most likely increase the number of acquisitions accounted for as asset acquisitions rather than business combinations. The following new accounting pronouncements will be adopted on their respective effective dates: In May 2014, the FASB issued an amendment to the accounting guidance for revenue from contracts with customers. The core principle of this guidance is an entity should recognize revenue to depict the transfer of promised goods or services to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration to which the entity expects to be entitled in exchange for those goods or services. The guidance defines steps an entity should apply to achieve the core principle. This guidance is effective for annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2017 and interim reporting periods within that annual period and allows for both retrospective and modified retrospective methods of adoption. Early adoption was permitted for annual periods beginning after December 15, 2016. The Company intends to adopt the guidance using the modified retrospective method. Rental revenue from lease contracts represents a significant portion of our total revenues and is a specific scope exception provided by this guidance. However, common area maintenance and other tenant reimbursable expenses provided to the lessee are considered a non-lease component and will be required to be separated from rental revenue and recorded on a separate financial statement line item upon adoption of the new accounting guidance on leases discussed below. Certain of our other revenue streams, such as management, development and other fee arrangements, as well as recognition of gains on full or partial sales of real estate may be impacted by the new guidance. The Company has finalized a project plan, including determination of each applicable revenue stream required to be analyzed within the scope of this accounting guidance. The Company has completed its analysis of management fee income and has concluded the adoption will not have any impact on the method of revenue recognition of these revenues.The Company continues the process of reviewing various customer revenue contracts (primarily consisting of parking and other revenues) to analyze the overall impact the adoption will have on the Company’s Statement of Operations. In February 2016, the FASB issued an amendment to the accounting guidance on leases. This guidance sets out the principles for the recognition, measurement, presentation and disclosure of leases for both parties to a contract (i.e., lessees and lessors). The new guidance requires lessees to apply a dual approach, classifying leases as either finance or operating leases based on the principle of whether or not the lease is effectively a financed purchase by the lessee. This classification will determine whether lease expense is recognized based on an effective interest method or on a straight line basis over the term of the lease, respectively. A lessee is also required to record a right-of-use asset and a lease liability for all leases with a term of greater than 12 months regardless of their classification. Leases with a term of 12 months or less will be accounted for similar to existing guidance for operating leases today. The new standard requires lessors to account for leases using an approach that is substantially equivalent to existing guidance for sales-type leases, direct financing leases and operating leases. The guidance is expected to impact the Company’s consolidated financial statements as the Company has certain operating and land lease arrangements for which it is the lessee. The new guidance supersedes the previous leases accounting standard. This guidance is effective for fiscal years, and for interim reporting periods within those fiscal years, beginning after December 15, 2018. Early adoption is permitted. The adoption of the new guidance is expected to have an impact on the consolidated financial statements as the Company has material ground lease arrangements, as well as other lease agreements. In addition, the Company believes it will be precluded from capitalizing its internal leasing costs, as the costs are not expected to be directly incremental to the successful execution of a lease, as required by the new guidance. The Company is in the process of evaluating the impact of this guidance. In November 2016, the FASB issued an amendment to the accounting guidance on the classification and presentation of changes in restricted cash on the statement of cash flows. The guidance requires restricted cash to be included with cash and cash equivalents when reconciling the beginning-of-period and end-of-period total amounts shown in the statement of cash flows. This guidance is effective for fiscal years, and for interim reporting periods within those fiscal years, beginning after December 15, 2017. Early adoption is permitted. The guidance should be adopted using a retrospective transition method. The Company is currently in the process of evaluating the impact of adopting this guidance on its Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows. In February 2017, the FASB issued an amendment to the accounting guidance on the derecognition of nonfinancial assets. The guidance clarifies the definition of an in substance nonfinancial asset and the recognition of gains and losses from the transfer of nonfinancial assets and for partial sales of nonfinancial assets, which would include real estate. This guidance is effective for fiscal years, and for interim reporting periods within those fiscal years, beginning after December 15, 2017. Early adoption is permitted. The Company is in the process of evaluating the impact of this guidance. Related Party Transactions The Company and certain of its affiliates entered into a Master Contribution and Sale Agreement (the “Master Contribution Agreement”) with Bruce C. Ratner (“Mr. Ratner”), Executive Vice President, and certain entities and individuals affiliated with Mr. Ratner (the “BCR Entities”) in August 2006 to purchase their interests in a total of 30 retail, office and residential operating properties and service companies in the Greater New York City metropolitan area. The Company issued Class A Common Units (“2006 Units”) in a jointly-owned, limited liability company in exchange for their interests. The 2006 Units may be exchanged for one of the following forms of consideration at the Company’s sole discretion: (i) an equal number of shares of the Company’s Class A common stock or, (ii) cash based on a formula using the average closing price of the Class A common stock at the time of conversion or, (iii) a combination of cash and shares of the Company’s Class A common stock. The Company has no rights to redeem or repurchase the 2006 Units. Pursuant to the Master Contribution Agreement, certain projects under development would remain owned jointly until each project was completed and achieved “stabilization.” Upon stabilization, each project would be valued and the Company, in its discretion, would choose among various ownership options for the project. In connection with the Master Contribution Agreement, the parties entered into the Tax Protection Agreement (the “Tax Protection Agreement”). The Tax Protection Agreement indemnified the BCR Entities included in the initial closing against taxes payable by reason of any subsequent sale of certain operating properties and expires in November 2018. Pursuant to the Master Contribution Agreement, 2006 Units not exchanged are entitled to a distribution preference payment equal to the dividends paid on an equivalent number of shares of the Company’s common stock. The Company recorded $162,000 and $334,000 during the three and six months ended June 30, 2017 , respectively, and $116,000 and $427,000 during the three and six months ended June 30, 2016 , respectively, related to the distribution preference payment, which is classified as noncontrolling interest expense on the Company’s Consolidated Statement of Operations. As a result of the January 2017 sale of Shops at Bruckner Boulevard , an unconsolidated specialty retail center in Bronx, New York, the Company accrued $482,000 related to a tax indemnity payment due to the BCR Entities in accordance with the terms of the Tax Protection Agreement. The Company paid the BCR Entities $241,000 during the three months ended June 30, 2017 and expects to remit the remaining amounts in quarterly installments. As a result of the January 2016 sale of 625 Fulton Avenue , a development site in Brooklyn, New York, the Company accrued $6,238,000 related to a tax indemnity payment due to the BCR Entities in accordance with the terms of the Tax Protection Agreement. Installments totaling $4,680,000 were paid during the year ended December 31, 2016. The remaining amount was included in accounts payable, accrued expenses and other liabilities at December 31, 2016 and was paid in January 2017. In March 2017, certain BCR Entities exchanged 142,879 of the 2006 Units. The Company issued 142,879 shares of its Class A common stock for the exchanged 2006 Units. The Company accounted for the exchange as a purchase of noncontrolling interests, resulting in a reduction of noncontrolling interests of $7,288,000 , an increase to Class A common stock of $1,000 and a combined increase to additional paid-in capital of $7,287,000 , accounting for the fair value of common stock issued and the difference between the fair value of consideration exchanged and the historical cost basis of the noncontrolling interest balance. At June 30, 2017 and December 31, 2016 , 1,797,909 and 1,940,788 of the 2006 Units were outstanding, respectively. In December 2016, the Company’s Board of Directors approved, and the Company entered into a reclassification agreement with RMS Limited Partnership (“RMS”), the former controlling stockholder of the Company's Class B shares (the “Reclassification Agreement”). The Reclassification Agreement provided that, at the Effective Time, as defined in the Agreement, following the satisfaction of the conditions thereto, each share of Class B Common Stock issued and outstanding immediately prior to the Effective Time would be reclassified and exchanged into 1.31 shares of Class A Common Stock, with a right to cash in lieu of fractional shares (the “Reclassification”). At the Company’s Annual Meeting of Stockholders held on June 9, 2017, the stockholders approved the Reclassification. See Note I – Capital Stock for additional information. In October 2016, the Company entered into a Reimbursement Agreement with RMS (the “Reimbursement Agreement”). The Company agreed to reimburse RMS (together with its officers, directors, employees, beneficiaries, trustees, representatives and agents)(“Reimbursed Persons”) for reasonable and documented fees and out-of-pocket expenses of RMS’s financial, legal and public relations advisors incurred in evaluating and negotiating the Reclassification. In addition, the Company agreed to reimburse the Reimbursed Persons for (i) reasonable costs and expenses incurred in connection with any Proceeding (as defined in the Reimbursement Agreement) to which such Reimbursed Person is a party or otherwise involved in and (ii) any losses, damages or liabilities actually and reasonably suffered or incurred in any such Proceeding by a Reimbursed Person. Amounts incurred subject to the Reimbursement Agreement were approximately $4,060,000 and $1,207,000 during the six months ended June 30, 2017 and the year ended December 31, 2016, respectively. See Note I – Capital Stock for additional information. Accumulated Other Comprehensive Loss The following table summarizes the components of accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) (“accumulated OCI”): June 30, 2017 December 31, 2016 (in thousands) Unrealized losses on interest rate derivative contracts (1) $ 11,923 $ 14,473 Noncontrolling interest (56 ) (63 ) Accumulated Other Comprehensive Loss $ 11,867 $ 14,410 (1) Includes unrealized losses on interest rate swaps accounted for as hedges held by certain of the Company’s equity method investees. The following table summarizes the changes, net of noncontrolling interest, of accumulated OCI by component: Foreign Currency Translation Interest Rate Contracts Total (in thousands) Six Months Ended June 30, 2017 Balance, January 1, 2017 $ — $ (14,410 ) $ (14,410 ) Gain recognized in accumulated OCI — (336 ) (336 ) Loss reclassified from accumulated OCI — 2,879 2,879 Total other comprehensive income — 2,543 2,543 Balance, June 30, 2017 $ — $ (11,867 ) $ (11,867 ) Six Months Ended June 30, 2016 Balance, January 1, 2016 $ (95 ) $ (67,810 ) $ (67,905 ) Gain (loss) recognized in accumulated OCI 95 (11,590 ) (11,495 ) Loss reclassified from accumulated OCI — 20,166 20,166 Total other comprehensive income 95 8,576 8,671 Balance, June 30, 2016 $ — $ (59,234 ) $ (59,234 ) The following table summarizes losses reclassified from accumulated OCI and their location on the Consolidated Statements of Operations: Accumulated OCI Components Loss Reclassified from Accumulated OCI Location on Consolidated Statements of Operations (in thousands) Six Months Ended June 30, 2017 Interest rate contracts $ 1,510 Interest expense Interest rate contracts 1,376 Earnings from unconsolidated entities 2,886 Total before noncontrolling interest (7 ) Noncontrolling interest $ 2,879 Loss reclassified from accumulated OCI Six Months Ended June 30, 2016 Interest rate contracts $ 18,436 Interest expense Interest rate contracts 113 Net gain on disposition of full or partial interest in rental properties, net of tax Interest rate contracts 1,625 Earnings from unconsolidated entities 20,174 Total before noncontrolling interest (8 ) Noncontrolling interest $ 20,166 Loss reclassified from accumulated OCI Noncontrolling Interest During the three months ended June 30, 2017, the Company exercised a promote option in the Arizona State Retirement System joint venture agreement, whereby the Company increased its ownership in the joint venture from 25.00% to 29.63% , as a result of the funds cumulative financial performance and estimated value creation. The non-cash transaction resulted in a decrease to noncontrolling interest and a corresponding increase to additional paid-in capital of $10,931,000 . The Company owned an equity interest in Barclays Center arena and the Nets through the Company’s consolidated subsidiary Nets Sports & Entertainment (“NS&E”). During the six months ended June 30, 2016, subsequent to the sale of Barclays Center and the Nets, the Company purchased NS&E’s partners’ interest for $38,951,000 . This cash payment together with the partners’ historical noncontrolling interest debit balance resulted in a decrease to additional paid-in capital as reflected on the Consolidated Statement of Equity. Organizational Transformation and Termination Benefits The following table summarizes the components of organizational transformation and termination benefits: Three Months Ended June 30, Six Months Ended June 30, 2017 2016 2017 2016 (in thousands) Termination benefits $ 4,585 $ 2,612 $ 8,737 $ 7,563 Shareholder activism costs 2,278 — 2,651 — Reorganization costs — 2,978 — 5,975 REIT conversion costs — 91 — 863 Total $ 6,863 $ 5,681 $ 11,388 $ 14,401 For the periods presented, the Company experienced workplace reductions and recorded the associated termination benefits expenses (outplacement and severance payments based on years of service and other defined criteria) for each occurrence. Shareholder activism costs are comprised of advisory, legal and other professional fees associated with activism matters. Reorganization costs consist primarily of consulting and other professional fees related to the 2016 restructuring of the organization by function (operations, development and corporate support). REIT conversion costs consist primarily of legal, accounting, consulting and other professional fees. The Company has segregated these costs along with termination benefits and reported these amounts as organizational transformation and termination benefits in the Consolidated Statements of Operations and reported in the Corporate segment. The following table summarizes the activity in the accrued severance balance for termination benefits: Three Months Ended June 30, Six Months Ended June 30, 2017 2016 2017 2016 (in thousands) Accrued severance benefits, beginning balance $ 9,058 $ 11,722 $ 9,969 $ 16,338 Termination benefits expense 4,585 2,612 8,737 7,563 Payments (1,933 ) (3,057 ) (6,996 ) (12,624 ) Accrued severance benefits, ending balance $ 11,710 $ 11,277 $ 11,710 $ 11,277 Supplemental Non-Cash Disclosures The following table summarizes the impact to the applicable balance sheet line items as a result of various non-cash transactions. Non-cash transactions primarily include dispositions of operating properties whereby the nonrecourse mortgage debt is assumed by the buyer or otherwise extinguished at closing, exchanges of 2006 Units or senior notes for Class A common stock, changes in consolidation methods of fully consolidated properties due to the occurrence of triggering events including, but not limited to, disposition of a partial interest in rental properties, change in construction payables and other capital expenditures, notes receivable from the sale of rental properties or development project, redemption of redeemable noncontrolling interest, adoption of new accounting guidance for debt issuance costs and capitalization of stock-based compensation granted to employees directly involved with the development and construction of real estate. Six Months Ended June 30, 2017 2016 (in thousands) Non-cash changes to balance sheet - Investing Activities Projects under construction and development $ (14,157 ) $ (35,689 ) Completed rental properties (61,695 ) (1,178,704 ) Restricted cash — (12,265 ) Notes receivable 2,500 275,700 Investments in and advances to affiliates - due to dispositions or change in control 603 125,732 Investments in and advances to affiliates - other activity 166 1,720 Total non-cash effect on investing activities $ (72,583 ) $ (823,506 ) Non-cash changes to balance sheet - Financing Activities Nonrecourse mortgage debt and notes payable, net $ (46,054 ) $ (843,595 ) Convertible senior debt, net — (125 ) Class A common stock 59 — Additional paid-in capital 15,868 (13,659 ) Redeemable noncontrolling interest — (159,202 ) Noncontrolling interest (18,545 ) 19,179 Total non-cash effect on financing activities $ (48,672 ) $ (997,402 ) |