Forest City Enterprises (FCEPP) 10-Q 9 Dec 13 2014 Q3 Quarterly report Financial data

Document_and_Entity_Informatio

Document and Entity Information	9 Months Ended
	Oct. 31, 2013	Dec. 04, 2013	Dec. 04, 2013
		Common stock Class B	Common stock Class A
Entity Registrant Name	'FOREST CITY ENTERPRISES INC	'	'
Entity Central Index Key	'0000038067	'	'
Document Type	'10-Q	'	'
Document Period End Date	31-Oct-13	'	'
Amendment Flag	'false	'	'
Document Fiscal Year Focus	'2014	'	'
Document Fiscal Period Focus	'Q3	'	'
Current Fiscal Year End Date	'--01-31	'	'
Entity Filer Category	'Large Accelerated Filer	'	'
Entity Common Stock, Shares Outstanding	'	20,186,351	179,703,391

Consolidated_Balance_Sheets_Un

Consolidated Balance Sheets (Unaudited) (USD $)	Oct. 31, 2013	Jan. 31, 2013
Real Estate	'	'
Completed rental properties	$7,432,729,000	$8,631,542,000
Projects under construction and development	1,273,301,000	1,326,703,000
Land held for development and sale	64,480,000	65,059,000
Total Real Estate	8,770,510,000	10,023,304,000
Less accumulated depreciation	-1,461,893,000	-1,654,632,000
Real Estate, net b (variable interest entities $1,293.8 million and $1,416.9 million, respectively)	7,308,617,000	8,368,672,000
Cash and equivalents b (variable interest entities $24.7 million and $14.2 million, respectively)	217,181,000	333,220,000
Restricted cash and escrowed funds b (variable interest entities $155.6 million and $114.9 million, respectively)	392,131,000	410,414,000
Notes and accounts receivable, net	463,558,000	426,200,000
Investments in and advances to unconsolidated entities	450,514,000	456,628,000
Other assets b (variable interest entities $54.4 million and $92.5 million, respectively)	495,914,000	614,592,000
Land held for divestiture	1,990,000	2,706,000
Total Assets	9,329,905,000	10,612,432,000
Liabilities	'	'
Mortgage debt and notes payable, nonrecourse b (variable interest entities $536.7 million and $624.1 million, respectively)	4,639,263,000	5,738,960,000
Bank revolving credit facility	74,900,000	0
Senior and subordinated debt b (variable interest entities $0 and $29.0 million, respectively)	701,112,000	1,032,969,000
Accounts payable, accrued expenses and other liabilities b (variable interest entities $80.9 million and $76.2 million, respectively)	838,903,000	1,093,963,000
Cash distributions and losses in excess of investments in unconsolidated entities	276,613,000	292,727,000
Deferred income taxes	560,801,000	474,406,000
Mortgage debt and notes payable, nonrecourse of land held for divestiture	0	1,700,000
Total Liabilities	7,091,592,000	8,634,725,000
Redeemable Noncontrolling Interest	174,302,000	239,136,000
Commitments and Contingencies	0	0
Common stock - $.33 1/3 par value	'	'
Common stock	66,223,000	61,321,000
Additional paid-in capital	1,089,986,000	932,045,000
Retained earnings	693,780,000	576,285,000
Less treasury stock, at cost; 941,853 and 6,582 Class A shares, respectively	-15,978,000	-108,000
Shareholders' equity before accumulated other comprehensive loss	1,834,011,000	1,580,095,000
Accumulated other comprehensive loss	-83,521,000	-103,203,000
Total Shareholders' Equity	1,750,490,000	1,476,892,000
Noncontrolling interest	313,521,000	261,679,000
Total Equity	2,064,011,000	1,738,571,000
Total Liabilities and Equity	9,329,905,000	10,612,432,000
Series A preferred stock	'	'
Shareholders' Equity	'	'
Preferred stock	0	10,552,000
Common stock - $.33 1/3 par value	'	'
Total Equity	0	10,552,000
Other preferred stock	'	'
Shareholders' Equity	'	'
Preferred stock	0	0
Common stock Class A	'	'
Common stock - $.33 1/3 par value	'	'
Common stock	59,493,000	54,576,000
Total Equity	59,493,000	54,576,000
Common stock Class B	'	'
Common stock - $.33 1/3 par value	'	'
Common stock	6,730,000	6,745,000
Total Equity	$6,730,000	$6,745,000

Consolidated_Balance_Sheets_Pa

Consolidated Balance Sheets (Parenthetical) (Unaudited) (USD $)	Oct. 31, 2013	Jan. 31, 2013	Oct. 31, 2013	Jan. 31, 2013	Oct. 31, 2013	Jan. 31, 2013	Oct. 31, 2013	Jan. 31, 2013	Oct. 31, 2013	Jan. 31, 2013
In Thousands, except Share data, unless otherwise specified	Variable interest entities	Variable interest entities	Series A preferred stock	Series A preferred stock	Other preferred stock	Other preferred stock	Common stock Class A	Common stock Class A	Common stock Class B	Common stock Class B
Real Estate, net	$1,293,800	$1,416,900	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'
Cash and equivalents	24,700	14,200	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'
Restricted cash and escrowed funds	155,600	114,900	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'
Other assets	54,400	92,500	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'
Mortgage debt and notes payable, nonrecourse	536,700	624,100	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'
Senior and subordinated debt	0	29,000	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'
Accounts payable, accrued expenses and other liabilities	$80,900	$76,200	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'
Preferred stock, dividend rate	'	'	7.00%	7.00%	'	'	'	'	'	'
Preferred Stock, without par value	'	'	$0	$0	$0	$0	'	'	'	'
Preferred stock, liquidation preference	'	'	$50	$50	'	'	'	'	'	'
Preferred stock, shares authorized	'	'	6,400,000	6,400,000	13,600,000	13,600,000	'	'	'	'
Preferred stock, shares issued	'	'	0	211,038	0	0	'	'	'	'
Preferred stock, shares outstanding	'	'	0	211,038	'	'	'	'	'	'
Common stock, par value per share	'	'	'	'	'	'	$0.33	$0.33	$0.33	$0.33
Common stock, shares authorized	'	'	'	'	'	'	371,000,000	371,000,000	56,000,000	56,000,000
Common stock, shares issued	'	'	'	'	'	'	178,478,167	163,729,240	20,191,151	20,235,273
Common stock, shares outstanding	'	'	'	'	'	'	177,536,314	163,722,658	20,191,151	20,235,273
Common stock, shares issuable	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	26,257,961	26,257,961
Treasury stock, Class A shares	'	'	'	'	'	'	941,853	6,582	'	'

Consolidated_Statements_of_Ope

Consolidated Statements of Operations (Unaudited) (USD $)	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Oct. 31, 2013	Oct. 31, 2012	Oct. 31, 2013	Oct. 31, 2012
Revenues from real estate operations	$266,227,000	$272,849,000	$853,936,000	$791,669,000
Expenses	'	'	'	'
Operating expenses	210,255,000	175,275,000	603,715,000	495,692,000
Depreciation and amortization	85,100,000	55,479,000	245,305,000	155,714,000
Impairment of real estate	200,155,000	30,200,000	208,210,000	30,660,000
Net (gain) loss on land held for divestiture activity	0	-807,000	7,555,000	5,651,000
Total expenses	495,510,000	260,147,000	1,064,785,000	687,717,000
Interest expense	-72,126,000	-66,744,000	-250,100,000	-180,988,000
Amortization of mortgage procurement costs	-2,246,000	-2,611,000	-7,572,000	-8,674,000
Gain (loss) on extinguishment of debt	-13,096,000	8,007,000	6,335,000	7,288,000
Interest and other income	13,881,000	10,426,000	37,063,000	34,504,000
Net gain on disposition of partial interests in rental properties	491,160,000	0	496,092,000	0
Earnings (loss) before income taxes	188,290,000	-38,220,000	70,969,000	-43,918,000
Income tax expense (benefit)	'	'	'	'
Current	29,151,000	-23,804,000	7,681,000	-50,077,000
Deferred	71,493,000	3,779,000	60,841,000	30,189,000
Total income tax expense (benefit)	100,644,000	-20,025,000	68,522,000	-19,888,000
Net gain on change in control of interests	0	0	2,762,000	6,766,000
Earnings (loss) from unconsolidated entities, gross of tax	'	'	'	'
Equity in earnings	46,474,000	4,189,000	59,815,000	24,627,000
Impairment	0	0	0	-390,000
Net gain (loss) on land held for divestiture activity	186,000	-283,000	867,000	-42,170,000
Total equity in earnings (loss) from unconsolidated entities	46,660,000	3,906,000	60,682,000	-17,933,000
Earnings (loss) from continuing operations	134,306,000	-14,289,000	65,891,000	-35,197,000
Discontinued operations, net of tax:	'	'	'	'
Operating earnings (loss) from rental properties	-188,000	2,153,000	2,137,000	5,805,000
Impairment of real estate	0	-100,000	0	-2,604,000
Gain on disposition of rental properties	856,000	10,589,000	26,378,000	16,238,000
Earnings from discontinued operations	668,000	12,642,000	28,515,000	19,439,000
Net earnings (loss)	134,974,000	-1,647,000	94,406,000	-15,758,000
Noncontrolling interests	'	'	'	'
(Earnings) loss from continuing operations attributable to noncontrolling interests, gross of tax	18,483,000	362,000	29,250,000	-4,927,000
(Earnings) loss from discontinued operations attributable to noncontrolling interests	-128,000	207,000	-5,976,000	-1,358,000
(Earnings) loss attributable to noncontrolling interests	18,355,000	569,000	23,274,000	-6,285,000
Net earnings (loss) attributable to Forest City Enterprises, Inc.	153,329,000	-1,078,000	117,680,000	-22,043,000
Preferred dividends and inducements of preferred stock conversion	0	-17,731,000	-185,000	-25,431,000
Net earnings (loss) attributable to Forest City Enterprises, Inc. common shareholders	$153,329,000	($18,809,000)	$117,495,000	($47,474,000)
Basic earnings (loss) per common share	'	'	'	'
Earnings (loss) from continuing operations attributable to Forest City Enterprises, Inc. common shareholders	$0.75	($0.19)	$0.48	($0.39)
Earnings from discontinued operations attributable to Forest City Enterprises, Inc. common shareholders	$0	$0.08	$0.11	$0.11
Net earnings (loss) attributable to Forest City Enterprises, Inc. common shareholders	$0.75	($0.11)	$0.59	($0.28)
Diluted earnings (loss) per common share	'	'	'	'
Earnings (loss) from continuing operations attributable to Forest City Enterprises, Inc. common shareholders	$0.67	($0.19)	$0.47	($0.39)
Earnings from discontinued operations attributable to Forest City Enterprises, Inc. common shareholders	$0	$0.08	$0.10	$0.11
Net earnings (loss) attributable to Forest City Enterprises, Inc. common shareholders	$0.67	($0.11)	$0.57	($0.28)

Consolidated_Statements_of_Com

Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income (Loss) (Unaudited) (USD $)	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Oct. 31, 2013	Oct. 31, 2012	Oct. 31, 2013	Oct. 31, 2012
Statement of Comprehensive Income [Abstract]	'	'	'	'
Net earnings (loss)	$134,974,000	($1,647,000)	$94,406,000	($15,758,000)
Other comprehensive income (loss), net of tax:	'	'	'	'
Unrealized net gains on investment securities, net of tax	58,000	8,000	365,000	18,000
Foreign currency translation adjustments, net of tax	0	0	-158,000	954,000
Unrealized net gains on interest rate derivative contracts, net of tax	2,473,000	5,800,000	19,502,000	8,119,000
Total other comprehensive income, net of tax	2,531,000	5,808,000	19,709,000	9,091,000
Comprehensive income (loss)	137,505,000	4,161,000	114,115,000	-6,667,000
Comprehensive (income) loss attributable to noncontrolling interest	18,310,000	561,000	23,247,000	-6,245,000
Total comprehensive income (loss) attributable to Forest City Enterprises, Inc.	$155,815,000	$4,722,000	$137,362,000	($12,912,000)

Consolidated_Statements_of_Com1

Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income (Loss) (Parenthetical) (Unaudited) (USD $)	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Oct. 31, 2013	Oct. 31, 2012	Oct. 31, 2013	Oct. 31, 2012
Statement of Comprehensive Income [Abstract]	'	'	'	'
Tax amount related to unrealized net gains on investment securities	($36,000)	($5,000)	($231,000)	($12,000)
Tax amount related to foreign currency translation adjustments	0	0	100,000	-604,000
Tax amount related to unrealized net gains on interest rate derivative contracts	($1,562,000)	($3,670,000)	($12,338,000)	($5,169,000)

Consolidated_Statements_of_Equ

Consolidated Statements of Equity (Unaudited) (USD $)	Total	Additional Paid-In Capital	Retained Earnings	Treasury Stock	Accumulated Other Comprehensive (Loss) Income	Noncontrolling Interest	Series A Preferred Stock	Common stock Class A	Common Stock Class B
Balance at Jan. 31, 2012	$1,751,872,000	'	'	'	'	'	$220,000,000	'	'
Balance, Shares at Jan. 31, 2012	'	'	'	'	'	'	4,400,000	'	'
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'
Other comprehensive income, net of tax	9,091,000	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'
Purchase of treasury stock	-1,815,000	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'
Purchase of treasury stock, Shares	120,459	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'
Preferred dividends	'	'	'	'	'	'	-11,550,000	'	'
Balance at Oct. 31, 2012	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'
Balance at Jan. 31, 2012	1,751,872,000	740,988,000	571,989,000	-1,874,000	-120,460,000	284,806,000	220,000,000	49,445,000	6,978,000
Balance, Shares at Jan. 31, 2012	'	'	'	108,000	'	'	4,400,000	148,336,000	20,935,000
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'
Net earnings, net of $9,785 and $17,296 attributable to redeemable noncontrolling interest	46,056,000	'	36,425,000	'	'	9,631,000	'	'	'
Other comprehensive income, net of tax	17,230,000	'	'	'	17,257,000	-27,000	'	'	'
Purchase of treasury stock	-1,963,000	'	'	-1,963,000	'	'	'	'	'
Purchase of treasury stock, Shares	'	'	'	129,000	'	'	'	'	'
Conversion of Class B to Class A shares	0	'	'	'	'	'	'	233,000	-233,000
Conversion of Class B to Class A shares, Shares	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	700,000	-700,000
Issuance of Class A shares in exchange for Series A preferred stock	-22,370,000	201,530,000	-19,069,000	'	'	'	-209,448,000	4,617,000	'
Issuance of Class A shares in exchange for Series A preferred stock, Shares	'	'	'	'	'	'	-4,189,000	13,852,000	'
Restricted stock vested	0	-173,000	'	'	'	'	'	173,000	'
Restricted stock vested, Shares	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	519,000	'
Exercise of stock options	8,368,000	4,531,000	'	3,729,000	'	'	'	108,000	'
Exercise of stock options, shares	'	'	'	-230,000	'	'	'	322,000	'
Preferred dividends	-13,060,000	'	-13,060,000	'	'	'	'	'	'
Stock-based compensation	14,751,000	14,751,000	'	'	'	'	'	'	'
Excess income tax deficiency from stock-based compensation	-961,000	-961,000	'	'	'	'	'	'	'
Redeemble noncontrolling interest adjustment	-8,424,000	-8,424,000	'	'	'	'	'	'	'
Acquisition of partners' noncontrolling interest in consolidated subsidiaries	-27,335,000	-20,197,000	'	'	'	-7,138,000	'	'	'
Contributions from noncontrolling interests	1,886,000	'	'	'	'	1,886,000	'	'	'
Distributions to noncontrolling interests	-27,680,000	'	'	'	'	-27,680,000	'	'	'
Change to equity method of accounting for subsidiaries	-724,000	'	'	'	'	-724,000	'	'	'
Other changes in noncontrolling interests	925,000	'	'	'	'	925,000	'	'	'
Balance at Jan. 31, 2013	1,738,571,000	932,045,000	576,285,000	-108,000	-103,203,000	261,679,000	10,552,000	54,576,000	6,745,000
Balance, Shares at Jan. 31, 2013	'	'	'	7,000	'	'	211,000	163,729,000	20,235,000
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'
Net earnings, net of $9,785 and $17,296 attributable to redeemable noncontrolling interest	111,702,000	'	117,680,000	'	'	-5,978,000	'	'	'
Other comprehensive income, net of tax	19,709,000	'	'	'	19,682,000	27,000	'	'	'
Purchase of treasury stock	-3,167,000	'	'	-3,167,000	'	'	'	'	'
Purchase of treasury stock, Shares	179,907	'	'	180,000	'	'	'	'	'
Conversion of Class B to Class A shares	0	'	'	'	'	'	'	15,000	-15,000
Conversion of Class B to Class A shares, Shares	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	44,000	-44,000
Issuance of Class A shares in exchange for Series A preferred stock	0	5,368,000	'	'	'	'	-5,489,000	121,000	'
Issuance of Class A shares in exchange for Series A preferred stock, Shares	'	'	'	'	'	'	-110,000	363,000	'
Redemption of Series A preferred stock	-5,063,000	'	'	'	'	'	-5,063,000	'	'
Redemption of Series A preferred stock, Shares	'	'	'	'	'	'	-101,000	'	'
Proceeds from settlement of equity call hedge related to issuance of preferred stock	10,231,000	23,099,000	'	-12,868,000	'	'	'	'	'
Proceeds from settlement of equity call hedge related to issuance of preferred stock, Shares	'	'	'	765,000	'	'	'	'	'
Issuance of Class A shares in exchange for Puttable Equity-Linked Senior Notes due 2014	194,345,000	189,786,000	'	'	'	'	'	4,559,000	'
Issuance of Class A shares in exchange for Puttable Equity-Linked Senior Notes due 2014, Shares	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	13,679,000	'
Restricted stock vested	0	-200,000	'	'	'	'	'	200,000	'
Restricted stock vested, Shares	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	597,000	'
Exercise of stock options	1,153,000	966,000	'	165,000	'	'	'	22,000	'
Exercise of stock options, shares	'	'	'	-10,000	'	'	'	66,000	'
Preferred dividends	-185,000	'	-185,000	'	'	'	-185,000	'	'
Stock-based compensation	13,441,000	13,441,000	'	'	'	'	'	'	'
Excess income tax deficiency from stock-based compensation	-133,000	-133,000	'	'	'	'	'	'	'
Redeemble noncontrolling interest adjustment	47,538,000	47,538,000	'	'	'	'	'	'	'
Acquisition of partners' noncontrolling interest in consolidated subsidiaries	-98,687,000	-95,924,000	'	'	'	-2,763,000	'	'	'
Contributions from noncontrolling interests	58,970,000	'	'	'	'	58,970,000	'	'	'
Distributions to noncontrolling interests	-29,978,000	'	'	'	'	-29,978,000	'	'	'
Change to equity method of accounting for subsidiaries	5,660,000	'	'	'	'	5,660,000	'	'	'
Adjustment due to change in ownership of consolidated subsidiaries	0	-26,000,000	'	'	'	26,000,000	'	'	'
Other changes in noncontrolling interests	-96,000	'	'	'	'	-96,000	'	'	'
Balance at Oct. 31, 2013	2,064,011,000	1,089,986,000	693,780,000	-15,978,000	-83,521,000	313,521,000	0	59,493,000	6,730,000
Balance, Shares at Oct. 31, 2013	'	'	'	942,000	'	'	0	178,478,000	20,191,000
Balance at Jul. 31, 2013	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'
Other comprehensive income, net of tax	2,531,000	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'
Preferred dividends	0	'	'	'	'	'	0	'	'
Balance at Oct. 31, 2013	$2,064,011,000	'	'	'	'	'	$0	'	'
Balance, Shares at Oct. 31, 2013	'	'	'	'	'	'	0	'	'

Consolidated_Statements_of_Equ1

Consolidated Statements of Equity (Parenthetical) (Unaudited) (Noncontrolling Interest, USD $)	9 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Oct. 31, 2013	Jan. 31, 2013
Noncontrolling Interest	'	'
Net loss attributable to redeemable noncontrolling interest	$17,296	$9,785

Consolidated_Statements_of_Cas

Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows (Unaudited) (USD $)	9 Months Ended
	Oct. 31, 2013	Oct. 31, 2012
Net earnings (loss)	$94,406,000	($15,758,000)
Depreciation and amortization	245,305,000	155,714,000
Amortization of mortgage procurement costs	7,572,000	8,674,000
Impairment of real estate	208,210,000	30,660,000
Impairment of unconsolidated entities	0	390,000
Write-offs of abandoned development projects	27,317,000	14,029,000
Gain on extinguishment of debt	-6,335,000	-7,288,000
Net loss on land held for divestiture activity	7,555,000	5,651,000
Net gain on disposition of partial interests in rental properties	-496,092,000	0
Net gain on change in control of interests	-2,762,000	-6,766,000
Deferred income tax expense	60,841,000	30,189,000
Equity in earnings	-59,815,000	-24,627,000
Net (gain) loss on land held for divestiture activity of unconsolidated entities	-867,000	42,170,000
Stock-based compensation expense	8,676,000	7,286,000
Amortization and mark-to-market adjustments of derivative instruments	8,773,000	-6,699,000
Non-cash interest expense related to Senior Notes	290,000	338,000
Cash distributions from operations of unconsolidated entities	46,338,000	47,095,000
Non-cash operating expenses included in discontinued operations	15,054,000	3,610,000
Gain on disposition included in discontinued operations	-44,342,000	-28,178,000
Cost of sales of land included in projects under construction and development and completed rental properties	7,855,000	5,428,000
(Increase) decrease in land held for development and sale	-1,103,000	3,863,000
Decrease in land held for divestiture	26,000	51,615,000
(Increase) decrease in notes and accounts receivable	-19,274,000	6,974,000
Decrease in other assets	12,681,000	5,915,000
(Decrease) increase in accounts payable, accrued expenses and other liabilities	-50,340,000	4,491,000
Net cash provided by operating activities	69,969,000	334,776,000
Cash Flows from Investing Activities	'	'
Capital expenditures	-354,458,000	-686,151,000
Payment of lease procurement costs	-6,006,000	-9,986,000
Increase in notes receivable	-26,922,000	-26,053,000
Decrease in restricted cash and escrowed funds used for investing purposes	13,957,000	118,477,000
Proceeds from disposition of rental properties	496,975,000	39,199,000
Decrease (increase) in investments in and advances to unconsolidated entities	42,706,000	-31,811,000
Net cash provided by (used in) investing activities	166,252,000	-596,325,000
Cash Flows from Financing Activities	'	'
Proceeds from nonrecourse mortgage debt and notes payable	488,207,000	669,927,000
Principal payments on nonrecourse mortgage debt and notes payable	-718,536,000	-466,360,000
Borrowings on bank revolving credit facility	772,344,000	356,000,000
Payments on bank revolving credit facility	-697,444,000	-190,000,000
Proceeds from issuance of Convertible Senior Notes due 2020, net of $8,750 of issuance costs	291,250,000	0
Redemption of Senior Notes due 2015	-53,253,000	0
Redemption of Senior Notes due 2017	-132,144,000	0
Redemption of Senior Notes due 2034	-218,951,000	0
Make-whole premium and inducements related to exchange of Senior Notes due 2014 for Class A common stock	-5,490,000	0
Transaction costs related to exchange of Senior Notes due 2014 for Class A common stock	-2,300,000	0
Deferred financing costs	-9,217,000	-18,014,000
Increase in restricted cash and escrowed funds used for financing purposes	0	-8,208,000
Purchase of treasury stock	-3,167,000	-1,815,000
Payment of inducements related to conversion of preferred stock for Class A common stock	0	-13,881,000
Payment of transaction costs related to conversion of preferred stock for Class A common stock	0	-2,200,000
Redemption of Series A preferred stock	-5,063,000	0
Proceeds from equity call hedge related to the issuance of Series A preferred stock	10,231,000	0
Exercise of stock options	1,153,000	1,006,000
Dividends paid to preferred shareholders	-185,000	-11,550,000
Acquisitions of noncontrolling interests	-98,687,000	-21,150,000
Contribution from redeemable noncontrolling interest	0	11,348,000
Contributions from noncontrolling interests	58,970,000	240,000
Distributions to noncontrolling interests	-29,978,000	-22,699,000
Net cash (used in) provided by financing activities	-352,260,000	282,644,000
Net (decrease) increase in cash and equivalents	-116,039,000	21,095,000
Cash and equivalents at beginning of period	333,220,000	217,486,000
Cash and equivalents at end of period	217,181,000	238,581,000
Operating Activities	'	'
Increase in land held for development and sale	-6,686,000	-5,534,000
Decrease (increase) in land held for divestiture	1,661,000	-5,737,000
Decrease in notes and accounts receivable	1,812,000	9,539,000
Decrease in other assets	75,531,000	2,120,000
Decrease in accounts payable, accrued expenses and other liabilities	-41,221,000	-10,204,000
Total effect on operating activities	31,097,000	-9,816,000
Investing Activities	'	'
Decrease in projects under construction and development	45,232,000	10,140,000
Decrease in completed rental properties	836,166,000	90,110,000
Decrease in restricted cash and escrowed funds	4,326,000	16,474,000
(Increase) decrease in investments in and advances to affiliates	-34,671,000	12,018,000
Total effect on investing activities	851,053,000	128,742,000
Financing Activities	'	'
Decrease in nonrecourse mortgage debt and notes payable	-871,068,000	-124,609,000
Decrease in senior and subordinated debt	-218,675,000	-6,049,000
Decrease in restricted cash and escrowed funds	0	8,208,000
Decrease in preferred stock	-5,489,000	-133,724,000
Increase in Class A common stock	4,680,000	2,948,000
Increase in additional paid-in capital	237,199,000	127,042,000
Increase in treasury stock	-12,868,000	0
(Decrease) increase in redeemable noncontrolling interest	-47,538,000	6,609,000
Increase in noncontrolling interest	31,609,000	649,000
Total effect on financing activities	($882,150,000)	($118,926,000)

Consolidated_Statements_of_Cas1

Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows (Parenthetical) (Unaudited) (USD $)	9 Months Ended
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Oct. 31, 2013
Payment of debt issuance costs	$8,750

Accounting_Policies

Accounting Policies	9 Months Ended
	Oct. 31, 2013
Accounting Policies [Abstract]	'
Accounting Policies	'
	Accounting Policies
	Basis of Presentation
	The interim consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance with 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 January 31, 2013, as amended on Form 10-K/A on April 30, 2013. 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 necessary for a fair statement of financial position, results of operations and cash flows at the dates and for the periods presented have been included.
	Use of Estimates
	The preparation of consolidated financial statements in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“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, impairment of real estate and other-than-temporary impairments on its equity method investments. As a result of the nature of estimates made by the Company, actual results could differ.
	In April 2013, management approved a plan to demolish Ten MetroTech Center, an office building in Brooklyn, New York, to clear the land for its redevelopment or sale. Accordingly, the original useful life, estimated to expire in 2042, of Ten MetroTech Center was adjusted to expire at the demolition date in October 2013, which resulted in $18,217,000 and $45,500,000 of accelerated depreciation expense recognized in the Consolidated Statements of Operations during the three and nine months ended October 31, 2013.
	Reclassifications
	During the year ended January 31, 2013, the Company determined that Barclays Center (the “Arena”), a sports and entertainment arena located in Brooklyn, New York, met the criteria for a reportable operating segment. Therefore, the segment reporting disclosures related to Barclays Center as of and for the three and nine months ended October 31, 2012 have been reclassified from the Commercial Group segment to the Arena segment (see Note P – Segment Information). Certain other prior year amounts in the accompanying consolidated financial statements have been reclassified to conform to the current year’s presentation.
	Variable Interest Entities
	The Company’s VIEs consist of joint ventures that are engaged in the ownership, development and management of office buildings, regional malls, specialty retail centers, apartment communities, military housing and The Nets, a member of the National Basketball Association (“NBA”). As of October 31, 2013, the Company determined that it was the primary beneficiary of 31 VIEs representing 22 properties, which are consolidated. The creditors of the consolidated VIEs do not have recourse to the Company’s general credit. As of October 31, 2013, the Company held variable interests in 66 VIEs for which it is not the primary beneficiary, which are unconsolidated. The maximum exposure to loss as a result of the ownership of these unconsolidated VIEs is limited to the Company’s applicable investment balances, which approximates $62,000,000 at October 31, 2013.
	Accumulated Other Comprehensive Loss
	The following table summarizes the components of accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) (“accumulated OCI”):
		October 31, 2013			January 31, 2013
		(in thousands)
	Unrealized (gains) losses on securities	$	(256	)	$	340
	Unrealized (gains) losses on foreign currency translation	189			(69		)
	Unrealized losses on interest rate contracts (1)	136,657			168,497
		136,590			168,768
	Income tax benefit	(52,913		)	(65,382		)
	Noncontrolling interest	(156		)	(183		)
	Accumulated Other Comprehensive Loss	$	83,521		$	103,203
	-1	Included in the amounts as of October 31 and January 31, 2013 are $105,890 and $126,506, respectively, of unrealized loss on an interest rate swap associated with New York Times, an office building in Manhattan, New York, on its nonrecourse mortgage debt with a notional amount of $640,000. This swap effectively fixes the mortgage at an all-in lender interest rate of 6.40% and expires in September 2017.
	The following table summarizes the changes, net of tax and noncontrolling interest, of accumulated OCI by component for the nine months ended October 31, 2013:
		Securities			Foreign Currency Translation			Interest Rate Contracts			Total
		(in thousands)
	Balance, February 1, 2013	$	(208	)	$	42		$	(103,037	)	$	(103,203	)
	OCI before reclassifications	365			(158		)	15,942			16,149
	Loss reclassified from accumulated OCI	—			—			3,533			3,533
	Total other comprehensive income	365			(158		)	19,475			19,682
	Balance, October 31, 2013	$	157		$	(116	)	$	(83,562	)	$	(83,521	)
	The following table summarizes losses reclassified from accumulated OCI and their location on the Consolidated Statements of Operations for the nine months ended October 31, 2013:
	Accumulated OCI Components	Loss Reclassified from Accumulated OCI				Location on Consolidated Statements of Operations
		(in thousands)
	Interest rate contracts	$	5,721			Interest expense
	Interest rate contracts	72				Equity in earnings
		5,793				Total before income tax and noncontrolling interest
		(2,247		)		Income tax benefit
		(13		)		Noncontrolling interest
		$	3,533			Loss reclassified from accumulated OCI
	Noncontrolling Interest
	Interests held by partners in consolidated entities are reflected in noncontrolling interest, which represents the noncontrolling interests’ share of the underlying net assets of the Company’s consolidated subsidiaries. Noncontrolling interest that is not redeemable is reported in the equity section of the Consolidated Balance Sheets.
	Noncontrolling interests where the Company may be required to repurchase the noncontrolling interest at fair value under a put option or other contractual redemption requirements are reported in the mezzanine section of the Consolidated Balance Sheets, as redeemable noncontrolling interest. The Company adjusts the redeemable noncontrolling interest to redemption value (which approximates fair value) at each balance sheet date with changes recognized as an adjustment to additional paid-in capital (see Note F – Fair Value Measurements).
	New Accounting Guidance
	The following accounting pronouncements were adopted during the nine months ended October 31, 2013:
	In July 2013, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued an amendment to the accounting guidance on the use of benchmark interest rates for hedge accounting. This guidance provides an entity the option to use the Fed Funds Effective Swap Rate, in addition to the rate on United States Treasuries and London Interbank Offered Rate (“LIBOR”), for hedge accounting purposes. The guidance also removes restrictions on using different benchmark rates for similar hedges. This guidance is effective prospectively for qualifying new or redesignated hedging relationships entered into on or after July 17, 2013. The adoption of this guidance on July 17, 2013 did not have a material impact on the Company's consolidated financial statements.
	In February 2013, the FASB issued an amendment to the accounting guidance for the reporting of amounts reclassified out of accumulated OCI. This guidance does not change the current requirements for reporting net income or other comprehensive income in financial statements. However, the amendments require an entity to provide information about the amounts reclassified out of accumulated OCI by component. In addition, an entity is required to present, either on the face of the statement where net income is presented or in the notes, significant amounts reclassified out of accumulated OCI by the respective line items of net income but only if the amount reclassified is required under GAAP to be reclassified to net income in its entirety in the same reporting period. For other amounts that are not required under GAAP to be reclassified in their entirety to net income, an entity is required to cross-reference to other disclosures required under GAAP that provide additional detail about those amounts. This guidance is effective prospectively for reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2012. The required disclosures upon adoption of this guidance on February 1, 2013 are included in the Company’s consolidated financial statements.
	In July 2012, the FASB issued an amendment to the accounting guidance on testing indefinite-lived intangible assets for impairment. This guidance provides an entity the option to first assess qualitative factors to determine whether the existence of events and circumstances indicates that it is more likely than not that the indefinite-lived intangible asset is impaired. If an entity concludes that it is not more likely than not that the asset is impaired, then the entity is not required to take further action. If an entity concludes otherwise, it is required to determine the fair value of the indefinite-lived intangible asset and perform the quantitative test by comparing the fair value with the carrying amount. This guidance is effective for annual and interim impairment tests performed for fiscal years beginning after September 15, 2012. The adoption of this guidance on February 1, 2013 did not have a material impact on the Company’s consolidated financial statements.
	In December 2011, the FASB issued an amendment to the accounting guidance on derecognition of in substance real estate. This guidance specifies that when a parent company (reporting entity) ceases to have a controlling financial interest (as described in the accounting guidance on consolidation) in a subsidiary that is in substance real estate as a result of a default on the subsidiary’s nonrecourse debt, the reporting entity should apply the guidance on property, plant and equipment to determine whether it should derecognize the in substance real estate. Generally, a reporting entity would not satisfy the requirements to derecognize the in substance real estate before the legal transfer of the real estate to the lender and the extinguishment of the related nonrecourse indebtedness. This guidance is effective for fiscal years and interim reporting periods within those years, beginning on or after June 15, 2012. The adoption of this guidance on February 1, 2013 did not impact the Company’s consolidated financial statements or their comparability to previously issued financial statements as the guidance in this amendment is consistent with the Company's previous accounting policies.
	In December 2011, the FASB issued an amendment to the accounting guidance that requires entities to disclose both gross and net information on financial instruments and transactions eligible for offset on the balance sheets and financial instruments and transactions subject to an agreement similar to a master netting arrangement. In January 2013, the FASB issued guidance clarifying that the scope of disclosures about offsetting assets and liabilities should apply only to derivatives and hedging instruments. This guidance is effective for annual and interim reporting periods beginning on or after January 1, 2013. The adoption of this guidance on February 1, 2013 did not have a material impact on the Company’s consolidated financial statements.
	The following new accounting pronouncement will be adopted on its respective required effective date:
	In July 2013, the FASB issued an amendment to the accounting guidance on the presentation of an unrecognized tax benefit when a net operating loss carryforward, a similar tax loss, or tax credit carryforward exists. This guidance, which clarifies whether the unrecognized tax benefit should be recorded as a liability or reduction of the related deferred tax asset, is effective for fiscal years and interim reporting periods within those years, beginning after December 15, 2013. The amendments should be applied prospectively to all unrecognized tax benefits that exist at the effective date. Retrospective application is permitted. The Company does not expect the adoption of this guidance to have a material impact on the Company's consolidated financial statements.

Mortgage_Debt_and_Notes_Payabl

Mortgage Debt and Notes Payable, Nonrecourse	9 Months Ended
	Oct. 31, 2013
Mortgage Debt and Notes Payable, Nonrecourse [Abstract]	'
Mortgage Debt and Notes Payable, Nonrecourse	'
	Mortgage Debt and Notes Payable, Nonrecourse
	The following table summarizes the mortgage debt and notes payable, nonrecourse maturities, as of October 31, 2013:
	Fiscal Years Ending January 31,	Total
		Maturities
		(in thousands)
	2014	$	40,912
	2015	847,092
	2016	490,876
	2017	69,208
	2018	1,037,171
	Thereafter	2,154,004
	Total	$	4,639,263

Bank_Revolving_Credit_Facility

Bank Revolving Credit Facility	9 Months Ended
	Oct. 31, 2013
Debt Disclosure [Abstract]	'
Bank Revolving Credit Facility	'
	Bank Revolving Credit Facility
	In February 2013, the Company entered into a Fourth Amended and Restated Credit Agreement and a Fourth Amended and Restated Guaranty of Payment of Debt (collectively, the “Credit Facility”) which provided total available borrowings of $465,000,000, subject to certain reserve commitments to be established, as applicable, on certain dates to be used to retire certain of the Company's Senior Notes that become due during the term of the amendment, and provided an accordion provision allowing the Company to increase its total borrowings to $500,000,000 upon satisfaction of certain conditions set forth in the Credit Facility. The Credit Facility matures on February 21, 2016 and provides for one, 12-month extension option, subject to certain conditions. Borrowings bear interest at LIBOR plus 3.50%. Up to $100,000,000 of the available borrowings may be used, in the aggregate, for letters of credit and/or surety bonds. The Credit Facility has a number of restrictive covenants, including a prohibition on certain consolidations and mergers, limitations on the amount of debt, guarantees and property liens that the Company may incur and restrictions on the pledging of ownership interests in subsidiaries. In addition, the amendment permits the Company to repurchase up to $100,000,000 of Class A Common Stock and to declare or pay dividends in an amount not to exceed $24,000,000 in the aggregate in any four fiscal quarter period to Class A or B common shareholders, subject to certain conditions. Additionally, the Credit Facility contains certain development limitations and financial covenants, including the maintenance of minimum liquidity, certain debt yield, debt service and cash flow coverage ratios, and specified levels of shareholders’ equity (all as specified in the Credit Facility). At October 31, 2013, the Company was in compliance with all of these financial covenants.
	On July 3, 2013, the Company exercised the accordion provision increasing the total available borrowings under the Credit Facility to $500,000,000.
	On July 31, 2013, the Company entered into a First Amendment to the Credit Facility (“First Amendment”) that set forth terms and conditions pursuant to which the Company redeemed its 6.500% Senior Notes due 2017 and 7.375% Senior Notes due 2034. (see Note D – Senior and Subordinated Debt for details).
	The Company also has a Second Amended Pledge Agreement (“Pledge Agreement”) with the banks party to the Credit Facility. The Pledge Agreement secures the Company’s obligations under the Credit Facility by granting a security interest to the bank group in its right, title and interest as a member, partner, shareholder or other equity holder of certain direct subsidiaries, including, but not limited to, its right to receive profits, proceeds, accounts, income, dividends, distributions or return of capital from such subsidiaries, to the extent the granting of such security interest would not result in a default under project level financing or the organizational documents of such subsidiary.
	The following table summarizes the available credit on the Credit Facility:
		October 31, 2013		January 31, 2013
		(in thousands)
	Maximum borrowings	$	500,000	$	450,000
	Less outstanding balances:
	Borrowings	74,900		—
	Letters of credit	60,090		67,456
	Surety bonds	—		—
	Available credit	$	365,010	$	382,544

Senior_and_Subordinated_Debt

Senior and Subordinated Debt	9 Months Ended
	Oct. 31, 2013
Debt Disclosure [Abstract]	'
Senior and Subordinated Debt	'
	Senior and Subordinated Debt
	The following table summarizes the Company’s senior and subordinated debt:
		October 31, 2013		January 31, 2013
		(in thousands)
	Senior Notes:
	3.625% Puttable Equity-Linked Senior Notes due 2014, net of discount	$	1,112	$	199,457
	7.625% Senior Notes due 2015	—		53,253
	5.000% Convertible Senior Notes due 2016	50,000		50,000
	6.500% Senior Notes due 2017	—		132,144
	4.250% Convertible Senior Notes due 2018	350,000		350,000
	3.625% Convertible Senior Notes due 2020	300,000		—
	7.375% Senior Notes due 2034, net of discount	—		219,115
	Total Senior Notes	701,112		1,003,969
	Subordinated Debt:
	Subordinate Tax Revenue Bonds due 2013	—		29,000
	Total Senior and Subordinated Debt	$	701,112	$	1,032,969
	On March 29, 2013, in accordance with the terms of the indenture dated as of May 19, 2003, the Company redeemed all of the remaining $53,253,000 principal amount of its outstanding 7.625% Senior Notes due 2015 at par value.
	On April 16, 2013, the Company entered into separate, privately negotiated exchange agreements with certain noteholders of the 3.625% Puttable Equity-Linked Senior Notes due 2014 (“2014 Senior Notes”) to exchange such notes for Class A common stock. Under the terms of the agreements, noteholders agreed to exchange $138,853,000 in aggregate principal amount of 2014 Senior Notes for a total of 9,549,721 shares of Class A common stock and a cash payment of $4,860,000 for additional exchange consideration, accrued interest and in lieu of fractional shares. The number of shares of Class A common stock issued in exchange for the 2014 Senior Notes equaled the number of shares into which the 2014 Senior Notes were convertible. Under the accounting guidance for induced conversions of convertible debt, the additional amounts paid to induce the noteholders to exchange their 2014 Senior Notes was expensed, resulting in a loss of $4,762,000 during the nine months ended October 31, 2013, which is recorded as extinguishment of debt.
	On May 31, 2013, pursuant to the terms of the Indenture governing the 2014 Senior Notes, the Company issued a put termination notice to the noteholders. As of July 12, 2013, the last settlement date for noteholders to put the 2014 Senior Notes to the Company, $60,033,000 aggregate principal amount of the 2014 Senior Notes were put, for which noteholders received 4,128,806 shares of Class A common stock and cash payments totaling $1,088,000 for interest payable to October 15, 2013 and in lieu of fractional shares. On November 21, 2013, the Company redeemed all of the remaining $1,114,000 aggregate principal amount of the 2014 Senior Notes at par value.
	In July 2013, the Company issued $300,000,000 of 3.625% Convertible Senior Notes due August 15, 2020 (“2020 Senior Notes”) in a private placement. The 2020 Senior Notes were issued at par and accrued interest is payable semi-annually on February 15 and August 15, beginning February 15, 2014. The net cash proceeds from the issuance of the 2020 Senior Notes, after deducting the initial purchaser's discount and offering expenses payable by the Company, were $291,250,000.
	Noteholders may convert their 2020 Senior Notes at their option at any time prior to the close of business on the scheduled trading day immediately preceding the maturity date. Upon conversion, a note holder would receive 41.3129 shares of Class A common stock per $1,000 principal amount of 2020 Senior Notes converted, based on a conversion price of approximately $24.21 per share of Class A common stock, subject to adjustment. The amount payable upon a conversion of the 2020 Senior Notes is only payable in shares of Class A common stock, except for cash paid in lieu of fractional shares. If the daily volume weighted average price of the Class A common stock has equaled or exceeded 130% ($31.47 at October 31, 2013) of the conversion price then in effect for at least 20 trading days (whether or not consecutive) during any period of 30 consecutive trading days, the Company may, at its option, elect to redeem any or all of the 2020 Senior Notes at any time up to August 15, 2018 at par, plus accrued and unpaid interest. If elected, the Company is required to issue a redemption notice that designates the effective date that the 2020 Senior Notes will be redeemed, which shall be a date at least 30 days (but not more than 60 days) after the mailing of such redemption notice (the “Redemption Date”). Noteholders electing to convert their 2020 Senior Notes after the mailing of a redemption notice and before the Redemption Date shall in certain circumstances be entitled to receive a make-whole premium payable in additional shares of Class A common stock.
	On August 23, 2013, in accordance with the terms of the indenture dated as of May 19, 2003, the Company redeemed all of the remaining $132,144,000 principal amount of its outstanding 6.500% Senior Notes due 2017 (“2017 Senior Notes”) at par value.
	On October 15, 2013, in accordance with the terms of the indenture dated May 19, 2003, the Company redeemed the entire $225,000,000 aggregate principal amount of its outstanding 7.375% Senior Notes due 2034 (“2034 Senior Notes”) at par value. In connection with this redemption, the Company recognized $12,094,000 as a loss on extinguishment of debt during the three months ended October 31, 2013, as a result of the unamortized discount and deferred financing fees.
	All of the Company’s senior notes are unsecured senior obligations and rank equally with all existing and future unsecured indebtedness; however, they are effectively subordinated to all existing and future secured indebtedness and other liabilities of the Company’s subsidiaries to the extent of the value of the collateral securing such other debt, including the Credit Facility.

Derivative_Instruments_and_Hed

Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities	9 Months Ended
	Oct. 31, 2013
Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities Disclosure [Abstract]	'
Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities	'
	Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities
	Risk Management Objective of Using Derivatives
	The Company maintains an overall interest rate risk management strategy that incorporates the use of derivative instruments to minimize significant unplanned impact on earnings and cash flows that may be caused by interest rate volatility. The Company’s strategy includes the use of interest rate swaps and option contracts that have indices related to the pricing of specific balance sheet liabilities. The Company enters into interest rate swaps to convert certain floating-rate debt to fixed-rate long-term debt, and vice-versa, depending on market conditions, or forward starting swaps to hedge the changes in benchmark interest rates on forecasted financings. The Company enters into interest rate swap agreements for hedging purposes for periods that are generally one to ten years. Option products utilized include interest rate caps, floors and Treasury options. The use of these option products is consistent with the Company’s risk management objective to reduce or eliminate exposure to variability in future cash flows primarily attributable to changes in benchmark rates relating to forecasted financings, and the variability in cash flows attributable to increases relating to interest payments on its floating-rate debt. The caps and floors have typical durations ranging from one to three years while the Treasury options are for periods of five to ten years. The Company does not have any forward starting swaps or Treasury options outstanding at October 31, 2013.
	Cash Flow Hedges of Interest Rate Risk
	The Company’s objectives in using interest rate derivatives are to add stability to interest expense and to manage exposure to interest rate movements. The Company primarily uses interest rate caps and swaps as part of its interest rate risk management strategy. Interest rate caps designated as cash flow hedges involve the receipt of variable-rate amounts from a counterparty if interest rates rise above the strike rate on the contract in exchange for an upfront premium. Interest rate swaps designated as cash flow hedges involve the receipt of variable-rate amounts from a counterparty in exchange for the Company making fixed-rate payments over the life of the agreements without exchange of the underlying notional amount.
	The effective portion of changes in the fair value of derivatives designated and qualifying as cash flow hedges is recorded in accumulated OCI and is subsequently reclassified into earnings in the period that the hedged forecasted transaction affects earnings. The ineffective portion of the change in fair value of the derivatives is recognized directly in earnings. During three months ended October 31, 2013, the Company recorded $2,366,000 as an increase to interest expense related to ineffectiveness arising from the early reclassification of OCI related to debt associated with entities that were included in the partial disposition of real estate (see Note J – Net Gain on Disposition of Partial Interests in Rental Properties). The hedged debt for these entities was deconsolidated and is now accounted for under the equity method of accounting. Under the accounting guidance for cash flow hedges this resulted in a missed forecasted transaction. During the nine months ended October 31, 2013, the Company recorded $2,963,000 as an increase to interest expense due to the missed forecasted transaction previously described and the early termination of an interest rate swap. The swap was terminated because the hedged debt was paid off early as a result of an asset sale. The amount of ineffectiveness charged to earnings was insignificant for the three and nine months ended October 31, 2012. As of October 31, 2013, the Company expects that within the next twelve months it will reclassify amounts recorded in accumulated OCI into earnings as an increase in interest expense of approximately $25,355,000, net of tax. However, the actual amount reclassified could vary due to future changes in fair value of these derivatives.
	Fair Value Hedges of Interest Rate Risk
	From time to time, the Company and/or certain of its joint ventures (the “Joint Ventures”) enter into total rate of return swaps (“TRS”) on various tax-exempt fixed-rate borrowings. The TRS convert these borrowings from a fixed rate to a variable rate. In exchange for a fixed rate, the TRS require the Company and/or the Joint Ventures to pay a variable rate, generally equivalent to the Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association (“SIFMA”) rate plus a spread. At October 31, 2013, the SIFMA rate was 0.08%. Additionally, the Company and/or the Joint Ventures have guaranteed the fair value of the underlying borrowings. Fluctuation in the value of the TRS is offset by the fluctuation in the value of the underlying borrowings, resulting in minimal financial impact. At October 31, 2013, the aggregate notional amount of TRS that are designated as fair value hedging instruments is $275,685,000. The underlying TRS borrowings are subject to a fair value adjustment (see Note F – Fair Value Measurements).
	Nondesignated Hedges of Interest Rate Risk
	The Company entered into derivative contracts that are intended to economically hedge certain interest rate risk, even though the contracts do not qualify for or the Company has elected not to apply hedge accounting. In situations in which hedge accounting is discontinued, or not elected, and the derivative remains outstanding, the Company records the derivative at its fair value and recognizes changes in the fair value in the Consolidated Statements of Operations.
	In instances where the Company enters into separate derivative instruments effectively hedging the same debt for consecutive annual periods, the amount of notional is excluded from the following disclosure in an effort to provide information that enables the financial statement user to understand the Company’s volume of derivative activity. The following table presents the fair values and location in the Consolidated Balance Sheets of all derivative instruments:
		Fair Value of Derivative Instruments
		October 31, 2013
		Asset Derivatives						Liability Derivatives
		(included in Other Assets)						(included in Accounts Payable, Accrued Expenses and Other Liabilities)
		Current		Fair Value				Current			Fair Value
		Notional						Notional
		(in thousands)
	Derivatives Designated as Hedging Instruments
	Interest rate caps	$	—	$	—			$	—		$	—
	Interest rate swap agreements	—		—				961,438			106,571
	TRS	47,900		994				227,785			7,854
	Total	$	47,900	$	994			$	1,189,223		$	114,425
	Derivatives Not Designated as Hedging Instruments
	Interest rate caps	$	450,068	$	12			$	—		$	—
	Interest rate swap agreements	—		—				—			—
	TRS	140,800		19,200				39,066			17,201
	Total	$	590,868	$	19,212			$	39,066		$	17,201
		January 31, 2013
		(in thousands)
	Derivatives Designated as Hedging Instruments
	Interest rate caps	$	—	$	—			$	—		$	—
	Interest rate swap agreements	—		—				1,019,920			129,522
	TRS	28,000		965				238,395			10,915
	Total	$	28,000	$	965			$	1,258,315		$	140,437
	Derivatives Not Designated as Hedging Instruments
	Interest rate caps	$	479,085	$	7			$	—		$	—
	Interest rate swap agreements	18,877		241				—			—
	TRS	140,800		20,101				39,562			15,287
	Total	$	638,762	$	20,349			$	39,562		$	15,287
	The following tables present the impact of gains and losses related to derivative instruments designated as cash flow hedges included in the accumulated OCI section of the Consolidated Balance Sheets and in equity in earnings and interest expense in the Consolidated Statements of Operations:
					Gain (Loss) Reclassified from
					Accumulated OCI
	Derivatives Designated as	Gain (Loss)			Location on Consolidated Statements	Effective			Ineffective
	Cash Flow Hedging Instruments	Recognized			of Operations	Amount			Amount
		in OCI
		(Effective Portion)
		(in thousands)
	Three Months Ended October 31, 2013
	Interest rate caps, interest rate swaps and Treasury options	$	802		Interest expense	$	(851	)	$	(2,366	)
	Interest rate caps, interest rate swaps and Treasury options	—			Equity in earnings	(14		)	—
	Total	$	802			$	(865	)	$	(2,366	)
	Nine Months Ended October 31, 2013
	Interest rate caps, interest rate swaps and Treasury options	$	26,042		Interest expense	$	(2,758	)	$	(2,963	)
	Interest rate caps, interest rate swaps and Treasury options	—			Equity in earnings	(76		)	4
	Total	$	26,042			$	(2,834	)	$	(2,959	)
	Three Months Ended October 31, 2012
	Interest rate caps, interest rate swaps and Treasury options	$	8,423		Interest expense	$	(994	)	$	—
	Interest rate caps, interest rate swaps and Treasury options	—			Equity in earnings	(91		)	2
	Total	$	8,423			$	(1,085	)	$	2
	Nine Months Ended October 31, 2012
	Interest rate caps, interest rate swaps and Treasury options	$	10,129		Interest expense	$	(2,941	)	$	—
	Interest rate caps, interest rate swaps and Treasury options	—			Equity in earnings	(272		)	10
Total	$	10,129			$	(3,213	)	$	10
The following table presents the impact of gains and losses related to derivatives instruments not designated as cash flow hedges in the Consolidated Statements of Operations:
	Net Gain (Loss) Recognized
	Three Months Ended October 31,						Nine Months Ended October 31,
	2013		2012				2013			2012
	(in thousands)
Derivatives Designated as Fair Value Hedging Instruments
TRS (1)	$	1,864	$	(148	)		$	3,090		$	(518	)
Derivatives Not Designated as Hedging Instruments
Interest rate caps and interest rate swaps	$	—	$	(243	)		$	(242	)	$	(689	)
TRS	6,432		2,672				(2,815		)	10,323
Total	$	6,432	$	2,429			$	(3,057	)	$	9,634
-1	The net gain (loss) recognized in interest expense from the change in fair value of the underlying TRS borrowings was $(1,864) and $(3,090) for the three and nine months ended October 31, 2013, respectively, and $148 and $518 for the three and nine months ended October 31, 2012, respectively, offsetting the gain (loss) recognized on the TRS (see Note F – Fair Value Measurements).
Credit-risk-related Contingent Features
The principal credit risk to the Company through its interest rate risk management strategy is the potential inability of the financial institution from which the derivative financial instruments were purchased to cover its obligations. If a counterparty fails to fulfill its obligation under a derivative contract, the Company’s risk of loss approximates the fair value of the derivative. To mitigate this exposure, the Company generally purchases its derivative financial instruments from the financial institution that issues the related debt, from financial institutions with which the Company has other lending relationships, or from financial institutions with a minimum credit rating of AA at the time the Company enters into the transaction.
The Company has agreements with its derivative counterparties that contain a provision under which the derivative counterparty could terminate the derivative obligations if the Company defaults on its obligations under the Credit Facility and designated conditions are fulfilled. In instances where the Company’s subsidiaries have derivative obligations secured by a mortgage, the derivative obligations could be terminated if the indebtedness between the two parties is terminated, either by loan payoff or default of the indebtedness. In addition, the Company has certain derivative contracts which provide that if the Company’s credit rating falls below certain levels, it may trigger additional collateral to be posted with the counterparty up to the full amount of the liability position of the derivative contracts. Also, certain subsidiaries have agreements containing provisions whereby the subsidiaries must maintain certain minimum financial ratios.
As of October 31, 2013, the aggregate fair value of all derivative instruments in a liability position, prior to the adjustment for nonperformance risk of $8,190,000, is $139,816,000. The Company had posted collateral consisting primarily of cash and notes receivable of $105,736,000 related to all derivative instruments. If all credit risk contingent features underlying these agreements had been triggered on October 31, 2013, the Company would have been required to post collateral of the full amount of the liability position.

Fair_Value_Measurements

Fair Value Measurements	9 Months Ended
	Oct. 31, 2013
Fair Value Disclosures [Abstract]	'
Fair Value Measurements	'
	Fair Value Measurements
	The Company’s financial assets and liabilities subject to fair value measurements are interest rate caps, interest rate swap agreements, TRS and borrowings subject to TRS (see Note E – Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities). The Company’s impairment of real estate and unconsolidated entities is also subject to fair value measurements (see Note L – Impairment of Real Estate, Impairment of Unconsolidated Entities and Write-Off of Abandoned Development Projects and Note N – Discontinued Operations and Gain on Disposition of Rental Properties).
	Items Measured at Fair Value on a Recurring Basis
	The Company’s financial assets consist of interest rate caps, interest rate swap agreements and TRS with positive fair values included in other assets. The Company’s financial liabilities consist of interest rate swap agreements and TRS with negative fair values included in accounts payable, accrued expenses and other liabilities and borrowings subject to TRS included in mortgage debt and notes payable, nonrecourse. The Company records the redeemable noncontrolling interest related to Brooklyn Arena, LLC at redemption value, which approximates fair value.
	The following table presents information about financial assets and liabilities and redeemable noncontrolling interest that were measured at fair value on a recurring basis, and indicates the fair value hierarchy of the valuation techniques utilized to determine such fair value:
		Fair Value Measurements
		October 31, 2013
		Level 1			Level 2			Level 3			Total
		(in thousands)
	Interest rate caps	$	—		$	12		$	—		$	12
	Interest rate swap agreements (liabilities)	—			(681		)	(105,890		)	(106,571		)
	TRS (assets)	—			—			20,194			20,194
	TRS (liabilities)	—			—			(25,055		)	(25,055		)
	Fair value adjustment to the borrowings subject to TRS	—			—			6,860			6,860
	Redeemable noncontrolling interest	—			—			(174,302		)	(174,302		)
	Total	$	—		$	(669	)	$	(278,193	)	$	(278,862	)
		January 31, 2013
		(in thousands)
	Interest rate caps	$	—		$	7		$	—		$	7
	Interest rate swap agreements (assets)	—			241			—			241
	Interest rate swap agreements (liabilities)	—			(3,016		)	(126,506		)	(129,522		)
	TRS (assets)	—			—			21,066			21,066
	TRS (liabilities)	—			—			(26,202		)	(26,202		)
	Fair value adjustment to the borrowings subject to TRS	—			—			9,950			9,950
	Redeemable noncontrolling interest	—			—			(239,136		)	(239,136		)
	Total	$	—		$	(2,768	)	$	(360,828	)	$	(363,596	)
	The following table presents a reconciliation of all financial assets and liabilities and redeemable noncontrolling interest measured at fair value on a recurring basis using significant unobservable inputs (Level 3):
		Fair Value Measurements
		Redeemable				Interest Rate				Net			Fair value			Total TRS			Total
		Noncontrolling				Swaps				TRS			adjustment			Related
		Interest											to the borrowings
													subject to TRS
		(in thousands)
	Nine Months Ended October 31, 2013
	Balance, February 1, 2013	$	(239,136	)		$	(126,506	)		$	(5,136	)	$	9,950		$	4,814		$	(360,828	)
	Loss attributable to redeemable noncontrolling interest	17,296				—				—			—			—			17,296
	Total realized and unrealized gains (losses):
	Included in earnings	—				—				275			(3,090		)	(2,815		)	(2,815		)
	Included in other comprehensive income	—				20,616				—			—			—			20,616
	Included in additional paid-in capital	47,538				—				—			—			—			47,538
	Balance, October 31, 2013	$	(174,302	)		$	(105,890	)		$	(4,861	)	$	6,860		$	1,999		$	(278,193	)
	Nine Months Ended October 31, 2012
	Balance, February 1, 2012	$	(229,149	)		$	(143,303	)		$	(15,013	)	$	9,180		$	(5,833	)	$	(378,285	)
	Contribution from redeemable noncontrolling interest	(11,348		)		—				—			—			—			(11,348		)
	Loss attributable to redeemable noncontrolling interest	6,316				—				—			—			—			6,316
	Total realized and unrealized gains (losses):
	Included in earnings	—				—				9,805			518			10,323			10,323
	Included in other comprehensive income	—				8,156				—			—			—			8,156
	Included in additional paid-in capital	(6,609		)		—				—			—			—			(6,609		)
	Balance, October 31, 2012	$	(240,790	)		$	(135,147	)		$	(5,208	)	$	9,698		$	4,490		$	(371,447	)
	The following table presents quantitative information about the significant unobservable inputs used to estimate the fair value of financial instruments measured on a recurring basis as of October 31, 2013:
		Quantitative Information about Level 3 Fair Value Measurements
		Fair Value October 31, 2013			Valuation	Unobservable	Input Values
					Technique	Input
		(in thousands)
	Credit valuation adjustment of interest rate swap	$	8,187		Potential future exposure	Credit spread	4.25%
	TRS	$	(4,861	)	Bond quote	Discount rate	N/A(1)
						Capitalization rate	N/A(1)
	Fair value adjustment to the borrowings subject to TRS	$	6,860		Bond quote	Discount rate	N/A(1)
						Capitalization rate	N/A(1)
	Redeemable noncontrolling interest	$	(174,302	)	Discounted cash flows	Discount rate	9.69%
	-1	The Company does not have access to certain significant unobservable inputs used by these third parties to determine these fair values.
	Third party service providers involved in fair value measurements are evaluated for competency and qualifications. Fair value measurements, including unobservable inputs, are evaluated based on current transactions and experience in the real estate and capital markets.
The Company does not deem the impact of changes in unobservable inputs used to determine the fair market value of the credit valuation adjustment, TRS and fair value adjustment to the borrowings subject to TRS to be significant; however, changes in the discount rate used to determine the fair market value of the redeemable noncontrolling interest could have a significant impact on its fair market value.
Fair Value of Other Financial Instruments
The carrying amount of notes and accounts receivable, excluding the Stapleton advances, and accounts payable, accrued expenses and other liabilities approximates fair value based upon the short-term nature of the instruments. The carrying amount of the Stapleton advances approximates fair value since the interest rates on these advances approximates current market rates. The Company estimates the fair value of its debt instruments by discounting future cash payments at interest rates that the Company believes approximate the current market. Estimated fair value is based upon market prices of public debt, available industry financing data, current treasury rates, recent financing transactions and loan to value ratios. The fair value of the Company’s debt instruments is classified as Level 3 in the fair value hierarchy.
The following table summarizes the fair value of nonrecourse mortgage debt and notes payable (exclusive of the fair value of derivatives), bank revolving facility, senior and subordinated debt and nonrecourse mortgage debt and notes payable of land held for divestiture:
	October 31, 2013							January 31, 2013
	Carrying Value			Fair Value				Carrying Value			Fair Value
	(in thousands)
Fixed Rate Debt	$	3,431,177		$	3,602,691			$	4,791,113		$	5,147,849
Variable Rate Debt	1,984,098			1,938,247				1,982,516			1,940,374
Total	$	5,415,275		$	5,540,938			$	6,773,629		$	7,088,223

StockBased_Compensation

Stock-Based Compensation	9 Months Ended
	Oct. 31, 2013
Disclosure of Compensation Related Costs, Share-based Payments [Abstract]	'
Stock-Based Compensation	'
	Stock-Based Compensation
	During the nine months ended October 31, 2013, the Company granted 241,860 stock options, 653,447 shares of restricted stock and 299,460 performance shares under the Company’s 1994 Stock Plan. The stock options had a grant-date fair value of $10.97, which was computed using the Black-Scholes option-pricing model using the following assumptions: expected term of 5.5 years, expected volatility of 74.1%, risk-free interest rate of 0.8%, and expected dividend yield of 0%. The exercise price of the options is $17.60, the closing price of the underlying Class A common stock on the date of grant. The restricted stock had a grant-date fair value of $17.60 per share, the closing price of the Class A common stock on the date of grant. The performance shares had a grant-date fair value of $17.78 per share, which was computed using a Monte Carlo simulation.
	At October 31, 2013, there was $4,176,000 of unrecognized compensation cost related to stock options that is expected to be recognized over a weighted-average period of 2.35 years, $20,140,000 of unrecognized compensation cost related to restricted stock that is expected to be recognized over a weighted-average period of 2.58 years, and $7,733,000 of unrecognized compensation cost related to performance shares that is expected to be recognized over a weighted-average period of 2.72 years.
	The amount of stock-based compensation costs and related deferred income tax benefit recognized in the financial statements are as follows:
		Three Months Ended October 31,						Nine Months Ended October 31,
		2013			2012			2013			2012
		(in thousands)
	Stock option costs	$	673		$	590		$	2,601		$	2,510
	Restricted stock costs	2,722			2,481			8,857			7,833
	Performance share costs	736			417			1,983			974
	Total stock-based compensation costs	4,131			3,488			13,441			11,317
	Less amount capitalized into qualifying real estate projects	(1,590		)	(1,410		)	(4,765		)	(4,031		)
	Amount charged to operating expenses	2,541			2,078			8,676			7,286
	Depreciation expense on capitalized stock-based compensation	241			206			721			620
	Total stock-based compensation expense	$	2,782		$	2,284		$	9,397		$	7,906
	Deferred income tax benefit	$	1,009		$	819		$	3,440		$	2,856
	The amount of grant-date fair value expensed immediately for awards granted to retirement-eligible grantees during the nine months ended October 31, 2013 and 2012 was $973,000 and $726,000, respectively.
	In connection with the vesting of restricted stock during the nine months ended October 31, 2013 and 2012, the Company repurchased into treasury 179,907 shares and 120,459 shares, respectively, of Class A common stock to satisfy the employees’ related minimum statutory tax withholding requirements. These shares were placed in treasury with an aggregate cost basis of $3,167,000 and $1,815,000, respectively.

Commercial_Group_Land_Sale

Commercial Group Land Sale	9 Months Ended
	Oct. 31, 2013
Real Estate [Abstract]	'
Commercial Group Land Sale	'
	Commercial Group Land Sale
	On January 31, 2011, the Company sold an approximate 10 acre land parcel and air rights to Rock Ohio Caesars Cleveland, LLC for development of a casino in downtown Cleveland for a sales price of $40,000,000. As of January 31, 2012, the Company had received total cash deposits of $7,000,000 of the purchase price. The minimum initial investment still had not been met and accordingly, the cash deposits were recorded as a deposit liability under the deposit method and included in accounts payable, accrued expenses and other liabilities at January 31, 2012.
	During the three months ended April 30, 2012, the Company received the remaining cash proceeds of $33,000,000. With receipt of this payment, the buyer’s initial and continuing investment on the sale of this parcel was adequate for gain recognition under the full accrual method. As such, the entire sales price is included in revenues from real estate operations and the related cost of land is included in operating expenses, resulting in a gain on sale of $36,484,000 during the nine months ended October 31, 2012.

Land_Held_for_Divestiture

Land Held for Divestiture	9 Months Ended
	Oct. 31, 2013
Land Held for Divestiture disclosures [Abstract]	'
Land Held for Divestiture	'
	Land Held for Divestiture
	On January 31, 2012, the Board of Directors of the Company approved a strategic decision by senior management to reposition portions of the Company's investment in the Land Development Group as part of a greater focus on core rental properties in core markets. Accordingly, the consolidated land assets associated with the land divestiture effort and related nonrecourse mortgage debt have been recorded as land held for divestiture on the Consolidated Balance Sheets at October 31 and January 31, 2013.
	During the year ended January 31, 2013, the Company executed upon its strategy, resulting in the disposition of the majority of land held for divestiture.
	During the nine months ended October 31, 2013, the Company continued to dispose of the balance of its remaining land held for divestiture. As of October 31, 2013, the Company has $1,990,000 of remaining carrying value of this land. Ongoing negotiations continue on the few remaining land projects.
	The Company recorded the land held for divestiture activity for fully consolidated land projects and those accounted for on the equity method of accounting on their own separate financial statement line items in the Consolidated Statements of Operations. These activities primarily represent sales of bulk land projects held for divestiture and the associated cost of sales.
	The following table summarizes the net gain (loss) on land held for divestiture activity of consolidated entities:
		Three Months Ended October 31,					Nine Months Ended October 31,
		2013		2012			2013			2012
		(in thousands)
	Sales of land held for divestiture	$	—	$	25,384		$	1,768		$	59,894
	Cost of sales of land held for divestiture	—		(26,804		)	(323		)	(51,976		)
	Gain on extinguishment of debt of land held for divestiture	—		2,227			—			2,227
	Net gain on closed transactions of land held for divestiture	—		807			1,445			10,145
	Bad debt expense	—		—			(9,000		)	—
	Impairment of land held for divestiture	—		—			—			(15,796		)
	Net gain (loss) on land held for divestiture activity	$	—	$	807		$	(7,555	)	$	(5,651	)
	The Company has a note receivable (the “Note”) related to a 2006 land sale that was in default at July 31, 2013 and is collateralized by a 1,000 acre land parcel in North Carolina. Negotiations are ongoing to cure the default; however, the Company has no assurance the payee has the intent to pay the Note in full. Accordingly, the Company established a reserve on the Note to reflect the estimated fair value of the underlying collateral of approximately $4,100,000. As a result, bad debt expense of $9,000,000, ($8,300,000, net of noncontrolling interest and $4,980,000, after tax) was recorded during the nine months ended October 31, 2013.
	The net gain on closed transactions of land held for divestiture for the three months ended October 31, 2012 primarily relates to the bulk sale of the Company's ownership interest in six land projects. The bulk sales transactions, which had a sale price of $22,245,000 resulted in a loss of approximately $2,100,000. The loss on these transactions was offset by a $2,227,000 gain on debt extinguishment related to one land project in a deed-in-lieu transaction.
	The net gain on land held for divestiture for the nine months ended October 31, 2012 primarily relates to the activity discussed above and the bulk sale during the three months ended July 31, 2012 of the Company's 51% ownership interest in a land project in Prosper, Texas. This bulk sale transaction, which had a sale price of $29,800,000, resulted in a gain of approximately $7,600,000 ($3,900,000, net of noncontrolling interest).
	Through the competitive bid process and the negotiation process of moving from informal expressions of interest to bona fide purchase offers, the Company obtained additional information regarding the value of its specific projects as viewed by current market participants. Based on the various levels of interest from potential buyers and information obtained from preliminary sales contracts, letters of intent and other negotiations on the remaining land projects discussed above, the Company reviewed its assumptions used to estimate the fair value of the land held for divestiture. As a result, the Company recorded an impairment charge of $15,796,000 during the nine months ended October 31, 2012.
	The following table presents quantitative information about the significant unobservable inputs used to determine the fair value of impairment of consolidated land held for divestiture for the nine months ended October 31, 2012:
		Quantitative Information about Level 3 Fair Value Measurements
		Fair Value October 31, 2012		Valuation	Unobservable	Range
				Technique	Input	of Input Values
		(in thousands)
	Impairment of land held for divestiture	$	15,663	Indicative bids	Indicative bids	N/A(1)
	Impairment of land held for divestiture	$	926	Discounted cash flows(2)	N/A	N/A
	-1	These fair value measurements were developed by third party sources, subject to the Company’s corroboration for reasonableness.
	-2	The Company used a discounted cash flow technique to estimate fair value; however, due to the estimated holding period being less than twelve months, the impact of discounting was deemed immaterial.
	The Company also has investments held in unconsolidated entities. The following table summarizes the net gain (loss) on investments in unconsolidated entities which are part of the land divestiture strategy:
		Three Months Ended October 31,					Nine Months Ended October 31,
		2013		2012			2013			2012
		(in thousands)
	Net gain (loss) on sales of land held for divestiture of unconsolidated entities	$	186	$	(283	)	$	867		$	(1,764	)
	Impairment of investments in unconsolidated entities	—		—			—			(40,406		)
	Net gain (loss) on land held for divestiture activity of unconsolidated entities	$	186	$	(283	)	$	867		$	(42,170	)
	During the three months ended July 31, 2012, the Company received an unsolicited offer to purchase its ownership interest in the remaining land parcels at its Central Station project in downtown Chicago, Illinois for approximately $30,000,000. The Company evaluated the offer and made a decision to divest its equity method investment in Central Station as part of its formal land divestiture activities. Based on the terms of the letter of intent, the Company recorded an impairment charge of approximately $17,000,000, which is included in impairment of investments in unconsolidated entities during the nine months ended October 31, 2012. The divestiture of Central Station closed during the three months ended January 31, 2013.
	During the three months ended July 31, 2012, the Company continued to market its equity method ownership interest in Mesa del Sol, a land project in Albuquerque, New Mexico to several potential buyers. Mesa del Sol is a large 3,000 acre development opportunity in the beginning stage of residential land development and is not expected to generate positive cash flow in the near-term due to the expected level of development expenditures needed to prepare the first phase of lots for sale. During the extensive marketing activities, there were few buyers that expressed interest in taking on the long-term development risk, and those that were, expected larger returns than previously estimated. As a result, based on these negotiations and other market information obtained from these potential buyers and other industry data, the Company updated its assumptions used in estimating the fair value of the investment, including discount rates, absorption rates and commercial and residential land pricing. Based on the updated valuation model, the Company recorded an additional impairment charge of approximately $15,000,000, which is included in impairment of investments in unconsolidated entities during the nine months ended October 31, 2012.

Net_Gain_on_Disposition_of_Par

Net Gain on Disposition of Partial Interests in Rental Properties	9 Months Ended
	Oct. 31, 2013
Net Gain on Disposition of Partial Interests in Rental Properties [Abstract]	'
Net Gain on Disposition of Partial Interests in Rental Properties	'
	Net Gain on Disposition of Partial Interests in Rental Properties
	The net gain on disposition of partial interests in rental properties is comprised of the following:
		Three Months Ended October 31,					Nine Months Ended October 31,
		2013			2012		2013		2012
		(in thousands)
	QIC Joint Venture	$	381,627		$	—	$	381,627	$	—
	New York Retail Joint Venture	109,533			—		114,465		—
		$	491,160		$	—	$	496,092	$	—
	QIC Joint Venture
	On September 10, 2013, the Company entered into joint venture agreements with an outside partner, an affiliated entity of QIC, one of the largest institutional investment managers in Australia. The outside partner invested in and received 49% of the Company's equity interests in seven regional retail malls.
	For its 49% equity interests, the outside partner invested cash and assumed debt of $448,900,000, representing 49% of the nonrecourse mortgage debt on the seven properties. As of October 31, 2013, the Company received approximately $412,300,000 of proceeds, net of transaction costs, of which approximately $188,200,000 represented cash, with the remainder being in the form of a loan. Based on the amount of cash received, the outside partner's minimum initial investment requirement was met and the transaction qualified for full gain recognition. As such, the Company recognized a net gain on disposition of partial interests in rental properties of $381,627,000 during the three and nine months ended October 31, 2013. The seven properties are adequately capitalized and do not contain the characteristics of a VIE. Based on this and the substantive participating rights held by the outside partner with regards to the properties, the Company concluded it appropriate to deconsolidate the entities and account for them under the equity method of accounting. During the three months ended October 31, 2013 and prior to admitting the outside party into the joint ventures, the Company acquired noncontrolling interests in two of the regional retail malls for approximately $92,400,000.
	The September 2013 QIC Joint Venture transaction, which resulted in the deconsolidation of the seven regional retail properties, inclusive of the Company's acquisition of noncontrolling interests, resulted in the following increases (decreases) to the Consolidated Balance Sheet financial statement line items (in thousands):
	Assets
	Real estate, net	$	(920,602	)
	Cash and equivalents	315,147
	Restricted cash and escrowed funds	(4,326		)
	Notes and accounts receivable, net	(23,201		)
	Investments in and advances to unconsolidated entities	22,571
	Other assets	(90,098		)
	Total Assets	$	(700,509	)
	Liabilities
	Mortgage debt and notes payable, nonrecourse	$	(979,448	)
	Accounts payable, accrued expenses and other liabilities	(17,446		)
	Total Liabilities	$	(996,894	)
	Equity
	Additional paid-in capital	$	(89,644	)
	Retained earnings	381,627
	Noncontrolling interest	4,402
	Total Equity	296,385
	Total Liabilities and Equity	$	(700,509	)
	New York Retail Joint Venture
	In March 2011, the Company entered into joint venture agreements with an outside partner, an affiliated entity of Madison International Realty LLC. The outside partner invested in and received a 49% equity interest in 15 mature retail properties located in the New York City metropolitan area. For its 49% equity interests, the outside partner invested cash and assumed debt of $244,952,000, representing 49% of the nonrecourse mortgage debt on the 15 properties. As of January 31, 2012, the Company received proceeds of $178,286,000, primarily in the form of a loan. Based on the net amount of cash received, the outside partner’s minimum initial investment requirement of 20% was not met. Since the transaction did not qualify for full gain recognition, the installment method of gain recognition was applied and a net gain on disposition of partial interests in rental properties of $9,561,000 was recorded during the year ended January 31, 2012. As of January 31, 2013, the remaining gain of $114,465,000 continued to be deferred and was included in accounts payable, accrued expenses and other liabilities.
	During the three months ended July 31, 2013, the Company used distribution proceeds from the joint ventures to pay down a portion of the loan which increases the net cash received for purposes of measuring whether full gain recognition is appropriate. However, the outside partner's investment requirement was still not met and the installment method of gain recognition was applied, resulting in an additional net gain on disposition of partial interests in rental properties of $4,932,000 during the three months ended July 31, 2013.
	During the three months ended October 31, 2013, the Company paid down additional amounts of the loan, resulting in the outside partner's investment requirement being met. As a result, the Company recognized the remaining deferred gain of $109,533,000 as net gain on disposition of partial interests in rental properties.

Income_Taxes

Income Taxes	9 Months Ended
	Oct. 31, 2013
Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract]	'
Income Taxes	'
	Income Taxes
	Income tax expense (benefit) for the three months ended October 31, 2013 and 2012 is $100,644,000 and $(20,025,000), respectively, and $68,522,000 and $(19,888,000) for the nine months ended October 31, 2013 and 2012, respectively. The difference in the recorded income tax expense/benefit versus the income tax expense/benefit computed at the statutory federal income tax rate is primarily attributable to state income taxes, changes in state net operating losses, additional general business credits, changes to the valuation allowances associated with certain deferred tax assets, and various permanent differences between pre-tax GAAP income and taxable income.
	The Company applies an estimated annual effective tax rate to its year-to-date earnings from operations to derive its tax provision for the quarter. Certain circumstances may arise which make it difficult for the Company to determine a reasonable estimate of its annual effective tax rate for the year. The Company’s projected marginal operating results, which include the gain related to the Commercial Group’s land sale as described in Note H – Commercial Group Land Sale, result in an effective tax rate that changes significantly with small variations in projected income or loss from operations or permanent differences and thus does not provide for a reliable estimate of the estimated annual effective tax rate. Therefore, in computing the Company’s income tax provision for the three and nine months ended October 31, 2012, the Company excluded the gain on the Commercial Group’s land sale from its estimated annual effective tax rate calculation and recognized the actual income tax expense related to the gain during the three and nine months ended October 31, 2012.
	At January 31, 2013, the Company had a federal net operating loss carryforward for tax purposes of $212,271,000 that expires in the years ending January 31, 2026 through January 31, 2033, a charitable contribution deduction carryforward of $27,326,000 that expires in the years ending January 31, 2014 through January 31, 2018, general business credit carryovers of $21,159,000 that expire in the years ending January 31, 2019 through January 31, 2033, and an alternative minimum tax (“AMT”) credit carryforward of $27,452,000 that is available until used to reduce federal tax to the AMT amount.
	The Company’s policy is to consider a variety of tax-deferral strategies, including tax deferred exchanges, when evaluating its future tax position. The Company has a full valuation allowance against the deferred tax asset associated with its charitable contributions. The Company has a valuation allowance against its general business credits, other than those general business credits which are eligible to be utilized to reduce future AMT liabilities. The Company has a valuation allowance against certain of its state net operating losses and state bonus depreciation deferred assets. These valuation allowances exist because management believes it is more likely than not that the Company will not realize these benefits.
	The Company applies the “with-and-without” methodology for recognizing excess tax benefits from the deduction of stock-based compensation. The net operating loss available for the tax return, as is noted in the paragraph above, is greater than the net operating loss available for the tax provision due to excess deductions from stock-based compensation reported on the return, as well as the impact of adjustments to the net operating loss under accounting guidance on accounting for uncertainty in income taxes. As of January 31, 2013, the Company has not recorded a net deferred tax asset of approximately $17,299,000 from excess stock-based compensation deductions taken on the tax return for which a benefit has not yet been recognized in the Company’s tax provision.

Impairment_of_Real_Estate_Impa

Impairment of Real Estate, Impairment of Unconsolidated Entities and Write-Off of Abandoned Development Projects	9 Months Ended
	Oct. 31, 2013
Impairment of Real Estate Impairment of Unconsolidated Entities and Write Off of Abandoned Development Projects [Abstract]	'
Impairment of Real Estate, Impairment of Unconsolidated Entities and Write-Off of Abandoned Development Projects	'
	Impairment of Real Estate, Impairment of Unconsolidated Entities and Write-Off of Abandoned Development Projects
	Impairment of Real Estate
	The Company reviews its real estate portfolio, including land held for development and sale, for impairment whenever events or changes indicate that its carrying value may not be recoverable. In cases where the Company does not expect to recover its carrying costs, an impairment charge is recorded. The impairments recorded during the three and nine months ended October 31, 2013 and 2012 represent write-downs to estimated fair value due to a change in events, such as a bona fide third-party purchase offer or changes in certain assumptions, including estimated holding periods and current market conditions and the impact of these assumptions to the properties’ estimated future cash flows, which represents Level 3 inputs.
	The following table summarizes the Company's impairment of real estate included in continuing operations:
			Three Months Ended October 31,					Nine Months Ended October 31,
			2013			2012		2013		2012
			(in thousands)
	LiveWork Las Vegas	Las Vegas, Nevada	$	112,838		$	—	$	112,838	$	—
	Regional Malls:
	Promenade Bolingbrook	Bolingbrook, Illinois	54,194			—		54,194		—
	Orchard Town Center	Westminster, Colorado	15,649			—		15,649		—
	Office Buildings:
	Building J at Illinois Science and Technology Park	Skokie, Illinois	17,474			—		17,474		—
	Halle Building	Cleveland, Ohio	—			30,200		—		30,200
	Investment in triple net lease retail property	Kansas City, Missouri	—			—		6,870		—
	Other		—			—		1,185		460
			$	200,155		$	30,200	$	208,210	$	30,660
	During the three months ended October 31, 2013, the Company continued to execute its strategy of focusing on core products located in core markets. In executing this strategy, the Company made a strategic business decision to reduce the expected level of development at LiveWork Las Vegas, a mixed-use project on a 13.5 acre parcel in Las Vegas, Nevada and consider ways to maximize the near-term value of the investment, which may include build to suit development, equity joint venture or marketing a portion of the land parcels to third parties. The change in strategy reduced the estimated hold period and expected cash flows. As a result, the Company’s estimated undiscounted cash flows no longer exceed the carrying value of the asset, requiring the Company to adjust the carrying value to its estimated fair value. As such, the Company recorded an impairment charge of $112,838,000 during the three and nine months ended October 31, 2013.
	During the three months ended October 31, 2013, the Company continued to make progress on the marketing of Promenade Bolingbrook and Orchard Town Center, two of its regional malls. At October 31, 2013, discussions with potential purchasers are in various stages and remain subject to further negotiation and applicable due diligence periods. However, based on the status of the discussions, the possibility of a sale of the assets has increased and is reasonably possible. As a result, the Company reviewed and updated each impairment analysis during the three months ended October 31, 2013. The estimated probability weighted undiscounted cash flows no longer exceed the carrying value of the asset requiring the Company to adjust the carrying value to their estimated fair value. As such, the Company recorded impairment charges on Promenade Bolingbrook and Orchard Town Center of $54,194,000 and $15,649,000, respectively, during the three and nine months ended October 31, 2013.
	During the three months ended October 31, 2013, the Company made a strategic business decision to modify its redevelopment plan for Building J at Illinois Science and Technology Park. The building, currently vacant, would require a significant amount of capital in order to re-tenant and continue to hold on a long term basis. The Company has determined it is no longer willing to invest any additional capital in this building without a tenant for a substantial portion of the building or without some form of significant financial subsidy. As a result of this decision, the Company's estimated undiscounted cash flows no longer exceed the carrying value of the asset, requiring the Company to adjust the carrying value to its estimated fair value. As such, the Company recorded an impairment charge of $17,474,000 during the three and nine months ended October 31, 2013.
	During the three months ended October 31, 2013, the Company signed a nonbinding memorandum of understanding with an exclusivity period expiring December 15, 2013 (the “MOU”) with an affiliate of Greenland Group Co., an unrelated third party, for a proposed joint venture (the “JV”) to develop Brooklyn Atlantic Yards, a 22 acre residential and commercial real estate project in Brooklyn, New York (the “AY project”). The JV remains subject to negotiation and necessary United States and China regulatory approvals. Based on the signing of the MOU, the Company reviewed and updated the AY project impairment analysis during the three months ended October 31, 2013. The updated undiscounted cash flow impairment analysis is based on several reasonably possible alternative courses of action and the estimated likelihood of each scenario occurring. These estimated probability weighted undiscounted cash flows exceeded the carrying value of the AY project as of October 31, 2013, and therefore, no impairment charge was recorded during the three months ended October 31, 2013. Significant estimates were made in the determination of the future undiscounted cash flows, including construction timing and costs, expected future rents and operating expenses from the vertical development, holding periods, cash proceeds at the end of the estimated holding period and the probability of the various reasonably possible scenarios. Changes to the estimates made by management could affect whether or not any impairment would be required. If the MOU does not result in a final executed joint venture, the Company will consider marketing the opportunity to other third parties. If the Company enters into a joint venture with the Greenland Group affiliate or another third party and the terms result in the Company granting joint control or losing control of the AY project, the Company may be required to deconsolidate the AY project. Upon deconsolidation, the investment balance would be compared to the estimated fair value and recorded at the lesser of fair value or book value. If this outcome were to occur, the Company would record an estimated impairment charge ranging from $250,000,000 to $350,000,000.
	During 2012, preliminary negotiations with a potential tenant to lease a majority of the Halle Building were discontinued by the Company, as the Company was unwilling to invest the significant amount of capital necessary to execute the proposed lease. As a result, the Company began evaluating several long-term strategies for the building, as it has below average occupancy, had continued to lose tenants in 2012 and required significant capital investment. The strategies considered included a near-term disposition of the asset in its current state, investing significant capital to re-tenant the space and hold on a long term basis, or invest additional capital to position the asset for sale, which may have increased the sales price. The Company determined it was not likely to invest any significant additional capital and would pursue the repositioning of the asset for redevelopment through a joint venture or exploration of an outright sale. The change in strategy reduced the long-term hold probability and the estimated probability weighted undiscounted cash flows no longer exceed the carrying value of the asset requiring the Company to adjust the carrying value to its estimated fair value of $10,500,000. As such, the Company recorded an impairment charge of $30,200,000 during the three and nine months ended October 31, 2012.
	Impairment of Real Estate - Discontinued Operations
	The Company had impairments related to consolidated real estate assets that were disposed of during the periods presented. The following table summarizes the Company's impairment of real estate included in discontinued operations:
			Three Months Ended October 31,					Nine Months Ended October 31,
			2013			2012		2013		2012
			(in thousands)
	Investment in triple net lease retail property	Portage, Michigan	$	—		$	—	$	—	$	2,263
	White Oak Village (Specialty Retail Center)	Richmond, Virginia	—			—		—		1,566
	Other		—			164		—		425
			$	—		$	164	$	—	$	4,254
	The following table presents quantitative information about the significant unobservable inputs used to determine the fair value of the impairment of real estate (including discontinued operations) for the nine months ended October 31, 2013 and 2012:
		Quantitative Information about Level 3 Fair Value Measurements
		Fair Value			Valuation	Unobservable	Range
					Technique	Input	of Input Values
		(in thousands)
	October 31, 2013
	Impairment of real estate	$	212,204		Indicative Bids	Indicative Bids	N/A (1)
	Impairment of real estate	$	29,500		Comparable Property Market Analysis	Price Per Square Foot	$22 to $55 per square foot (2)
	October 31, 2012
	Impairment of real estate	$	83,193		Indicative Bids	Indicative Bids	N/A (1)
	Impairment of real estate	$	10,500		Discounted Cash Flow	Discount Rate	10.00%
	-1	These fair value measurements were derived from bona fide purchase offers from third party prospective buyers, subject to the Company’s corroboration for reasonableness.
	-2	Weighted average price is $45 per square foot.
	Impairment of Unconsolidated Entities
	The Company reviews its portfolio of unconsolidated entities for other-than-temporary impairments whenever events or changes indicate that its carrying value in the investments may be in excess of fair value. An equity method investment’s value is impaired if management’s estimate of its fair value is less than the carrying value and the difference is deemed to be other-than-temporary. In order to arrive at the estimates of fair value, the Company uses varying assumptions that may include comparable sale prices, market discount rates, market capitalization rates and estimated future discounted cash flows specific to the geographic region and property type, all of which are considered to be Level 3 inputs. For newly opened properties, assumptions also include the timing of initial lease up at the property. In the event the initial lease up assumptions differ from actual results, estimated future discounted cash flows may vary resulting in impairment charges in future periods. The Company recorded no impairments of unconsolidated entities during the three and nine months ended October 31, 2013. The Company recorded $0 and $390,000 of impairments of unconsolidated entities during the three and nine months ended October 31, 2012.
	Write-Off of Abandoned Development Projects
	On a quarterly basis, the Company reviews each project under development to determine whether it is probable that the project will be developed. If management determines that the project will not be developed, project costs and other expenses related to the project are written off and expensed as an abandoned development project cost. The Company abandons projects under development for a number of reasons, including, but not limited to, changes in local market conditions, increases in construction or financing costs or third party challenges related to entitlements or public financing. The Company wrote off abandoned development projects of $26,540,000 and $29,317,000 during the three and nine months ended October 31, 2013, respectively, and $370,000 and $14,029,000 during the three and nine months ended October 31, 2012, respectively, which were recorded in operating expenses.

Gain_Loss_on_Extinguishment_of

Gain (Loss) on Extinguishment of Debt	9 Months Ended
	Oct. 31, 2013
Extinguishment of Debt Disclosures [Abstract]	'
Gain (Loss) on Extinguishment of Debt [Text Block]	'
	Gain (Loss) on Extinguishment of Debt
	For the three and nine months ended October 31, 2013, the Company recorded $(13,096,000) and $6,335,000, respectively, as gain (loss) on extinguishment of debt. The amounts for 2013 primarily include a $24,669,000 gain on the extinguishment of nonrecourse debt at Ten MetroTech Center partially offset by a $13,077,000 loss on the redemptions of the 2034 and 2017 Senior Notes and a loss of $4,762,000 on the exchange of the 2014 Senior Notes for Class A common stock (see Note D – Senior and Subordinated Debt).
	For the three and nine months ended October 31, 2012, the Company recorded $8,007,000 and $7,288,000, respectively, as gain on extinguishment of debt. The amounts for 2012 primarily relate to a gain on extinguishment of nonrecourse mortgage debt of $9,425,000 at Terminal Tower, an office building in Cleveland, Ohio.

Discontinued_Operations_and_Ga

Discontinued Operations and Gain on Disposition of Rental Properties	9 Months Ended
	Oct. 31, 2013
Discontinued Operations and Disposal Groups [Abstract]	'
Discontinued Operations and Gain on Disposition of Rental Properties	'
	Discontinued Operations and Gain on Disposition of Rental Properties
	The following table summarizes the rental properties included in discontinued operations:
	Property	Location	Square Feet/ Number of Units	Period Disposed	Three Months Ended 10/31/13	Nine Months Ended 10/31/13	Three Months Ended 10/31/12	Nine Months Ended 10/31/12
	Commercial Group:
	Colorado Studios	Denver, Colorado	75,000 square feet	Q3-2013	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
	Higbee Building	Cleveland, Ohio	815,000 square feet	Q2-2013	—	Yes	Yes	Yes
	Sheraton Station Square	Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania	399 rooms	Q2-2013	—	Yes	Yes	Yes
	Fairmont Plaza	San Jose, California	335,000 square feet	Q4-2012	—	—	Yes	Yes
	White Oak Village	Richmond, Virginia	843,000 square feet	Q3-2012	—	—	Yes	Yes
	Quebec Square	Denver, Colorado	739,000 square feet	Q1-2012	—	—	—	Yes
	Six triple net lease properties	Various	287,000 square feet	Various (1)	—	Yes	Yes	Yes
	Residential Group:
	Millender Center	Detroit, Michigan	339 units	Q1-2013	—	Yes	Yes	Yes
	Emerald Palms	Miami, Florida	505 units	Q4-2012	—	—	Yes	Yes
	Southfield	Whitemarsh, Maryland	212 units	Q3-2012	—	—	Yes	Yes
	-1	Includes one triple net lease property disposed of during Q1-2013, three triple net lease properties disposed of during Q3-2012 and two triple net lease properties disposed of during Q2-2012.
	The following table summarizes the operating results related to discontinued operations:
		Three Months Ended October 31,							Nine Months Ended October 31,
		2013			2012				2013			2012
		(in thousands)
	Revenues from real estate operations	$	135		$	20,227			$	20,782		$	60,604
	Expenses
	Operating expenses	429			10,972				12,639			31,171
	Depreciation and amortization	—			2,638				2,014			9,658
	Impairment of real estate	—			164				—			4,254
		429			13,774				14,653			45,083
	Interest expense	(16		)	(2,715		)		(2,785		)	(10,076		)
	Amortization of mortgage procurement costs	—			(54		)		(50		)	(546		)
	Loss on extinguishment of debt	—			(192		)		(40		)	(192		)
	Interest income	—			(7		)		225			272
	Gain on disposition of rental properties	1,239			19,299				44,342			28,178
	Earnings before income taxes	929			22,784				47,821			33,157
	Income tax expense	261			10,142				19,306			13,718
	Earnings from discontinued operations	668			12,642				28,515			19,439
	Noncontrolling interest
	Gain on disposition of rental properties	125			—				5,960			965
	Operating earnings (loss) from rental properties	3			(207		)		16			393
		128			(207		)		5,976			1,358
	Earnings from discontinued operations attributable to Forest City Enterprises, Inc.	$	540		$	12,849			$	22,539		$	18,081
	The following table summarizes the pre-tax gain on disposition of rental properties:
		Three Months Ended October 31,							Nine Months Ended October 31,
		2013			2012				2013			2012
		(in thousands)
	Apartment Communities:
	Millender Center	$	—		$	—			$	21,660		$	—
	Southfield	—			13,445				—			13,445
	Sheraton Station Square (Hotel)	—			—				18,096			—
	Office Buildings:
	Higbee Building	—			—				2,922			—
	Colorado Studios	1,239			—				1,239			—
	Triple net lease properties	—			6,568				222			6,568
	Quebec Square (Specialty Retail Center)	—			—				—			8,879
	Other	—			(714		)		203			(714		)
		$	1,239		$	19,299			$	44,342		$	28,178
	Gain (Loss) on Disposition of Unconsolidated Entities
	Upon disposition, investments accounted for on the equity method are not classified as discontinued operations; therefore, gains or losses on the disposition of these properties are reported in continuing operations. The following table summarizes gains and losses on the disposition of unconsolidated entities, which are included in equity in earnings:
			Three Months Ended October 31,							Nine Months Ended October 31,
			2013			2012				2013			2012
			(in thousands)
	Westin Convention Center (Hotel)	Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania	$	32,741		$	—			$	32,741		$	—
	Office Buildings:
	Liberty Center	Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania	1,540			—				1,540			—
	Chagrin Plaza I & II	Beachwood, Ohio	—			—				—			1,628
Specialty Retail Centers:
Plaza at Robinson Town Center	Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania	—			—				(1,510		)	—
Village at Gulfstream Park	Hallandale Beach, Florida	—			—				—			14,479
		$	34,281		$	—			$	32,771		$	16,107

Earnings_Per_Share

Earnings Per Share	9 Months Ended
	Oct. 31, 2013
Earnings Per Share [Abstract]	'
Earnings Per Share	'
	Earnings Per Share
	The Company’s restricted stock is considered a participating security pursuant to the two-class method for computing basic earnings per share (“EPS”). The Class A Common Units, which are reflected as noncontrolling interests in the Consolidated Balance Sheets, are considered convertible participating securities as they are entitled to participate in any dividends paid to the Company’s common shareholders. The Class A Common Units are included in the computation of basic EPS using the two-class method and are included in the computation of diluted EPS using the if-converted method. The Class A common stock issuable in connection with a put or conversion of the 2014 Senior Notes, 2016 Senior Notes, 2018 Senior Notes, 2020 Senior Notes and Series A preferred stock is included in the computation of diluted EPS using the if-converted method. The loss from continuing operations attributable to Forest City Enterprises, Inc. for the three and nine months ended October 31, 2012 was allocated solely to holders of common stock as the participating security holders do not share in the losses.
	The reconciliation of the basic and diluted EPS computations is shown in the following table:
		Three Months Ended October 31,						Nine Months Ended October 31,
		2013			2012			2013			2012
	Numerators (in thousands)
	Earnings (loss) from continuing operations attributable to Forest City Enterprises, Inc.	$	152,789		$	(13,927	)	$	95,141		$	(40,124	)
	Preferred dividends and inducements of preferred stock conversion	—			(17,731		)	(185		)	(25,431		)
	Undistributed earnings allocated to participating securities	(4,363		)	—			(2,783		)	—
	Earnings (loss) from continuing operations attributable to Forest City Enterprises, Inc. common shareholders ‑ Basic	$	148,426		$	(31,658	)	$	92,173		$	(65,555	)
	Undistributed earnings allocated to participating securities	4,363			—			2,783			—
	Interest on convertible debt	4,323			—			11,137			—
	Earnings (loss) from continuing operations attributable to Forest City Enterprises, Inc. common shareholders ‑ Diluted	$	157,112		$	(31,658	)	$	106,093		$	(65,555	)
	Net earnings (loss) attributable to Forest City Enterprises, Inc.	$	153,329		$	(1,078	)	$	117,680		$	(22,043	)
	Preferred dividends and inducements of preferred stock conversion	—			(17,731		)	(185		)	(25,431		)
	Undistributed earnings allocated to participating securities	(4,378		)	—			(3,444		)	—
	Net earnings (loss) attributable to Forest City Enterprises, Inc. common shareholders ‑ Basic	$	148,951		$	(18,809	)	$	114,051		$	(47,474	)
	Undistributed earnings allocated to participating securities	4,378			—			3,444			—
	Interest on convertible debt	4,323			—			11,137			—
	Net earnings (loss) attributable to Forest City Enterprises, Inc. common shareholders ‑ Diluted	$	157,652		$	(18,809	)	$	128,632		$	(47,474	)
	Denominators
	Weighted average shares outstanding ‑ Basic	197,721,350			170,777,898			192,512,992			169,817,482
	Effect of stock options, restricted stock and performance shares	1,936,522			—			1,460,461			—
	Effect of convertible debt	32,138,215			—			29,659,197			—
	Effect of convertible Class A Common Units	3,646,755			—			3,646,755			—
	Weighted average shares outstanding ‑ Diluted (1)	235,442,842			170,777,898			227,279,405			169,817,482
	Earnings Per Share
	Earnings (loss) from continuing operations attributable to Forest City Enterprises, Inc. common shareholders ‑ Basic	$	0.75		$	(0.19	)	$	0.48		$	(0.39	)
	Earnings (loss) from continuing operations attributable to Forest City Enterprises, Inc. common shareholders ‑ Diluted	$	0.67		$	(0.19	)	$	0.47		$	(0.39	)
	Net earning (loss) attributable to Forest City Enterprises, Inc. common shareholders ‑ Basic	$	0.75		$	(0.11	)	$	0.59		$	(0.28	)
	Net earnings (loss) attributable to Forest City Enterprises, Inc. common shareholders ‑ Diluted	$	0.67		$	(0.11	)	$	0.57		$	(0.28	)
	-1	Incremental shares from dilutive options, restricted stock, performance shares and convertible securities aggregating 51,666,897 and 52,245,656 for the three and nine months ended October 31, 2012 were not included in the computation of diluted EPS because their effect is anti-dilutive due to the loss from continuing operations. Weighted-average shares issuable upon the conversion of preferred stock of 108,334 for the nine months ended October 31, 2013 were not included in the computation of diluted EPS because their effect is anti-dilutive under the if-converted method. Weighted-average options, restricted stock and performance shares of 3,181,351 and 3,695,539 for the three and nine months ended October 31, 2013, respectively, and 3,751,604 and 4,237,027 for the three and nine months ended October 31, 2012, respectively, were not included in the computation of diluted EPS because their effect is anti-dilutive under the treasury stock method.

Segment_Information

Segment Information	9 Months Ended
	Oct. 31, 2013
Segment Reporting [Abstract]	'
Segment Information	'
	Segment Information
	The following tables summarize financial data for the Company's six reportable operating segments. All amounts in the following tables are presented in thousands.
		October 31, 2013			31-Jan-13
		Identifiable Assets
	Commercial Group	$	5,461,368		$	7,127,228
	Residential Group	2,480,823			2,060,892
	Arena	994,857			980,321
	Land Development Group	281,230			246,873
	The Nets	—			1,111
	Corporate Activities	111,627			196,007
		$	9,329,905		$	10,612,432
		Three Months Ended October 31,						Nine Months Ended October 31,						Three Months Ended October 31,						Nine Months Ended October 31,
		2013			2012			2013			2012			2013			2012			2013			2012
		Revenues from Real Estate Operations												Operating Expenses
	Commercial Group	$	152,263		$	169,234		$	507,626		$	497,735		$	119,321		$	82,862		$	313,519		$	255,079
	Commercial Group Land Sales	395			5,950			26,786			45,999			402			1,720			15,949			5,286
	Residential Group	73,814			68,871			201,156			194,175			53,089			48,472			149,829			133,047
	Arena	28,403			17,040			78,687			17,366			17,646			15,520			57,130			26,277
	Land Development Group	11,352			11,754			39,681			36,394			7,162			12,548			28,547			35,496
	The Nets	—			—			—			—			—			—			—			—
	Corporate Activities	—			—			—			—			12,635			14,153			38,741			40,507
		$	266,227		$	272,849		$	853,936		$	791,669		$	210,255		$	175,275		$	603,715		$	495,692
		Depreciation and Amortization												Interest Expense
	Commercial Group	$	56,396		$	40,224		$	169,775		$	116,179		$	45,856		$	44,985		$	152,611		$	127,662
	Residential Group	15,511			12,133			43,345			35,581			2,647			5,408			25,306			13,646
	Arena	12,394			2,491			29,670			2,491			9,920			(352		)	28,282			(9,086		)
	Land Development Group	98			202			298			448			85			(145		)	(195		)	4,081
	The Nets	—			—			—			—			—			—			—			—
	Corporate Activities	701			429			2,217			1,015			13,618			16,848			44,096			44,685
		$	85,100		$	55,479		$	245,305		$	155,714		$	72,126		$	66,744		$	250,100		$	180,988
		Interest and Other Income												Capital Expenditures
	Commercial Group	$	5,031		$	2,366		$	9,235		$	12,188		$	38,932		$	80,430		$	146,900		$	284,061
	Residential Group	5,054			5,651			17,600			14,960			64,253			52,459			165,475			106,044
	Arena	—			—			—			—			9,182			110,919			41,035			295,185
	Land Development Group	3,726			2,354			9,999			7,224			—			—			819			181
	The Nets	—			—			—			—			—			—			—			—
	Corporate Activities	70			55			229			132			—			245			229			680
		$	13,881		$	10,426		$	37,063		$	34,504		$	112,367		$	244,053		$	354,458		$	686,151
	The Company uses Funds From Operations (“FFO”) to report its operating results. FFO is a non-GAAP measure as defined by the National Association of Real Estate Investment Trusts (“NAREIT”) and is a measure of performance used by publicly traded Real Estate Investment Trusts ("REITs"). Although the Company is not a REIT, management believes it is important to publish this measure to allow for easier comparison of its performance to its peers. FFO is defined by NAREIT as net earnings excluding the following items at the Company’s proportional share: i) gain (loss) on disposition of rental properties, divisions and other investments (net of tax); ii) non-cash charges for real estate depreciation and amortization; iii) impairment of depreciable real estate (net of tax); iv) extraordinary items (net of tax); and v) cumulative or retrospective effect of change in accounting principle (net of tax).
	The Company believes that, although its business has many facets such as development, acquisitions, disposals, and property management, the core of its business is the recurring operations of its portfolio of real estate assets. The Company’s Chief Executive Officer, the chief operating decision maker, uses FFO, as presented, to assess performance of the Company's portfolio of real estate assets by reportable operating segment because it provides information on the financial performance of the core real estate portfolio operations. FFO measures the profitability of a real estate segment’s operations of collecting rent, paying operating expenses and servicing its debt.
	During 2012 and previous years, the chief operating decision maker used a non-GAAP measure defined as Earnings Before Depreciation, Amortization and Deferred Taxes (“EBDT”). EBDT was similar, but not identical, to FFO. The treatment of deferred taxes is the single biggest difference between EBDT and FFO. The reconciliation for the three and nine months ended October 31, 2012 has been changed to be consistent with the current year's presentation of FFO.
	The reconciliations of net earnings (loss) to FFO by segment are shown in the following tables. All amounts are presented in thousands.
	Three Months Ended October 31, 2013	Commercial			Residential			Arena			Land			The Nets			Corporate			Total
		Group			Group						Development						Activities
											Group
	Net earnings (loss) attributable to Forest City Enterprises, Inc. common shareholders	$	281,664		$	12,512		$	(6,481	)	$	6,549		$	(50	)	$	(140,865	)	$	153,329
	Preferred dividends	—			—			—			—			—			—			—
	Net earnings (loss) attributable to Forest City Enterprises, Inc.	$	281,664		$	12,512		$	(6,481	)	$	6,549		$	(50	)	$	(140,865	)	$	153,329
	Depreciation and amortization – Real Estate Groups	67,665			21,754			7,143			47			—			—			96,609
	Net gain on disposition of partial interests in rental properties	(491,160		)	—			—			—			—			—			(491,160		)
	Gain on disposition of unconsolidated entities	(34,281		)	—			—			—			—			—			(34,281		)
	Impairment of consolidated depreciable real estate	87,317			—			—			—			—			—			87,317
	Discontinued operations:
	Gain on disposition of rental properties	(1,114		)	—			—			—			—			—			(1,114		)
	Income tax expense (benefit) on non-FFO:
	Gain on disposition of rental properties	—			—			—			—			—			204,162			204,162
	Impairment of depreciable real estate	—			—			—			—			—			(33,864		)	(33,864		)
	FFO	$	(89,909	)	$	34,266		$	662		$	6,596		$	(50	)	$	29,433		$	(19,002	)
	Three Months Ended October 31, 2012	Commercial			Residential			Arena			Land			The Nets			Corporate			Total
		Group			Group						Development						Activities
											Group
	Net earnings (loss) attributable to Forest City Enterprises, Inc. common shareholders	$	2,405		$	24,925		$	881		$	469		$	(7,477	)	$	(40,012	)	$	(18,809	)
	Preferred dividends and inducements of preferred stock conversion	—			—			—			—			—			17,731			17,731
Net earnings (loss) attributable to Forest City Enterprises, Inc.	$	2,405		$	24,925		$	881		$	469		$	(7,477	)	$	(22,281	)	$	(1,078	)
Depreciation and amortization – Real Estate Groups	48,490			20,875			1,397			146			—			—			70,908
Impairment of consolidated depreciable real estate	30,200			—			—			—			—			—			30,200
Discontinued operations:
Depreciation and amortization – Real Estate Groups	1,931			687			—			—			—			—			2,618
Gain on disposition of rental properties	(5,854		)	(13,445		)	—			—			—			—			(19,299		)
Impairment of consolidated depreciable real estate	164			—			—			—			—			—			164
Income tax expense (benefit) on non-FFO:
Gain on disposition of rental properties	—			—			—			—			—			7,893			7,893
Impairment of depreciable real estate	—			—			—			—			—			(11,776		)	(11,776		)
FFO	$	77,336		$	33,042		$	2,278		$	615		$	(7,477	)	$	(26,164	)	$	79,630
Reconciliation of Net Earnings (Loss) to FFO by Segment (continued):
Nine Months Ended October 31, 2013	Commercial			Residential			Arena			Land			The Nets			Corporate			Total
	Group			Group						Development						Activities
										Group
Net earnings (loss) attributable to Forest City Enterprises, Inc. common shareholders	$	287,956		$	31,320		$	(19,996	)	$	11,918		$	(2,763	)	$	(190,940	)	$	117,495
Preferred dividends	—			—			—			—			—			185			185
Net earnings (loss) attributable to Forest City Enterprises, Inc.	$	287,956		$	31,320		$	(19,996	)	$	11,918		$	(2,763	)	$	(190,755	)	$	117,680
Depreciation and amortization – Real Estate Groups	198,741			64,952			17,090			229			—			—			281,012
Net gain on disposition of partial interests in rental properties	(496,092		)	—			—			—			—			—			(496,092		)
Gain on disposition of unconsolidated entities	(32,771		)	—			—			—			—			—			(32,771		)
Impairment of consolidated depreciable real estate	94,187			1,185			—			—			—			—			95,372
Discontinued operations:
Depreciation and amortization – Real Estate Groups	1,835			165			—			—			—			—			2,000
Gain on disposition of rental properties	(22,354		)	(16,028		)	—			—			—			—			(38,382		)
Income tax expense (benefit) on non-FFO:
Gain on disposition of rental properties	—			—			—			—			—			220,993			220,993
Impairment of depreciable real estate	—			—			—			—			—			(36,988		)	(36,988		)
FFO	$	31,502		$	81,594		$	(2,906	)	$	12,147		$	(2,763	)	$	(6,750	)	$	112,824
Nine Months Ended October 31, 2012	Commercial			Residential			Arena			Land			The Nets			Corporate			Total
	Group			Group						Development						Activities
										Group
Net earnings (loss) attributable to Forest City Enterprises, Inc. common shareholders	$	79,366		$	46,171		$	3,493		$	(47,672	)	$	(22,707	)	$	(106,125	)	$	(47,474	)
Preferred dividends and inducements of preferred stock conversion	—			—			—			—			—			25,431			25,431
Net earnings (loss) attributable to Forest City Enterprises, Inc.	$	79,366		$	46,171		$	3,493		$	(47,672	)	$	(22,707	)	$	(80,694	)	$	(22,043	)
Depreciation and amortization – Real Estate Groups	143,851			61,230			1,397			355			—			—			206,833
Gain on disposition of unconsolidated entities	(16,107		)	—			—			—			—			—			(16,107		)
Impairment of consolidated depreciable real estate	30,660			—			—			—			—			—			30,660
Impairment of unconsolidated depreciable real estate	—			—			—			390			—			—			390
Discontinued operations:
Depreciation and amortization – Real Estate Groups	7,012			2,591			—			—			—			—			9,603
Gain on disposition of rental properties	(13,768		)	(13,445		)	—			—			—			—			(27,213		)
Impairment of consolidated depreciable real estate	4,254			—			—			—			—			—			4,254
Income tax expense (benefit) on non-FFO:
Gain on disposition of rental properties	—			—			—			—			—			17,174			17,174
Impairment of depreciable real estate	—			—			—			—			—			(13,692		)	(13,692		)
FFO	$	235,268		$	96,547		$	4,890		$	(46,927	)	$	(22,707	)	$	(77,212	)	$	189,859

Capital_Stock

Capital Stock	9 Months Ended
	Oct. 31, 2013
Equity [Abstract]	'
Capital Stock	'
	Capital Stock
	On October 16, 2012 and December 13, 2012, the Company entered into separate, privately negotiated exchange agreements with certain holders of its Series A Cumulative Perpetual Convertible Preferred Stock (“Series A preferred stock”) to exchange such stock for shares of the Company's Class A common stock. Under the terms of the agreements, holders exchanged $209,447,600 in aggregate amount of liquidation preference consisting of 4,188,952 shares of Series A preferred stock, for 13,852,435 shares of Class A common stock. The amount of common shares issued was equivalent to the initial conversion price of $15.12 per share of Class A common stock. The Company made aggregate cash payments of $19,069,000 to the holders for additional exchange consideration, including dividends that would have been payable on December 17, 2012 and March 15, 2013. Under the accounting guidance for induced conversions of convertible preferred stock, the cash inducement payments were recorded as a reduction to retained earnings.
	From January 31, 2013 to March 14, 2013, 109,768 shares of Series A preferred stock were converted into 362,990 shares of Class A common stock in accordance with the original terms of the Series A preferred stock. On March 15, 2013, the Company redeemed the remaining 101,270 shares of Series A preferred stock for approximately $5,100,000, the aggregate amount of liquidation preference plus the dividend that was due and payable on March 15, 2013.
	On March 13, 2013, the Company and the counterparties settled an equity call hedge transaction that was entered into in connection with the original issuance of the Series A preferred stock. As a result, the Company received 765,134 shares of Class A common stock valued at $16.82 per share for a total of $12,868,000 and cash payments of $10,231,000. In accordance with accounting guidance on equity hedge transactions, amounts received upon settlement of equity call hedge transactions in which the Company has the choice of net share settlement or net cash settlement are reflected as an increase to additional paid-in capital.
	The Company declared and paid Series A preferred stock dividends of $0 and $185,000 during the three and nine months ended October 31, 2013 and $3,850,000 and $11,550,000 during the three and nine months ended October 31, 2012.
	On April 16, 2013, the Company entered into separate, privately negotiated exchange agreements with certain noteholders of the 2014 Senior Notes to exchange such notes for Class A common stock. Under the terms of the agreements, noteholders agreed to exchange $138,853,000 in aggregate principal amount of 2014 Senior Notes for a total of 9,549,721 shares of Class A common stock and a cash payment of $4,860,000 for additional exchange consideration, accrued interest and in lieu of fractional shares.
	On May 31, 2013, pursuant to the terms of the Indenture governing the 2014 Senior Notes, the Company issued a put termination notice to the noteholders. Pursuant to the Indenture, following the put termination notice, noteholders of the 2014 Senior Notes were permitted to put such notes to the Company through June 20, 2013. As of July 12, 2013, the last settlement date for noteholders to put the 2014 Senior Notes to the Company, $60,033,000 aggregate principal amount of the 2014 Senior Notes were put, for which noteholders received 4,128,806 shares of Class A common stock and cash payments totaling $1,088,000 for interest payable to October 15, 2013 and in lieu of fractional shares.

Accounting_Policies_Policies

Accounting Policies (Policies)	9 Months Ended
	Oct. 31, 2013
Accounting Policies [Abstract]	'
Basis of Presentation	'
	Basis of Presentation
	The interim consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance with 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 January 31, 2013, as amended on Form 10-K/A on April 30, 2013. 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 necessary for a fair statement of financial position, results of operations and cash flows at the dates and for the periods presented have been included.
Use of Estimates	'
	Use of Estimates
	The preparation of consolidated financial statements in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“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, impairment of real estate and other-than-temporary impairments on its equity method investments. As a result of the nature of estimates made by the Company, actual results could differ.
	In April 2013, management approved a plan to demolish Ten MetroTech Center, an office building in Brooklyn, New York, to clear the land for its redevelopment or sale. Accordingly, the original useful life, estimated to expire in 2042, of Ten MetroTech Center was adjusted to expire at the demolition date in October 2013, which resulted in $18,217,000 and $45,500,000 of accelerated depreciation expense recognized in the Consolidated Statements of Operations during the three and nine months ended October 31, 2013.
Reclassifications	'
	Reclassifications
	During the year ended January 31, 2013, the Company determined that Barclays Center (the “Arena”), a sports and entertainment arena located in Brooklyn, New York, met the criteria for a reportable operating segment. Therefore, the segment reporting disclosures related to Barclays Center as of and for the three and nine months ended October 31, 2012 have been reclassified from the Commercial Group segment to the Arena segment (see Note P – Segment Information). Certain other prior year amounts in the accompanying consolidated financial statements have been reclassified to conform to the current year’s presentation.
Variable Interest Entities	'
	Variable Interest Entities
	The Company’s VIEs consist of joint ventures that are engaged in the ownership, development and management of office buildings, regional malls, specialty retail centers, apartment communities, military housing and The Nets, a member of the National Basketball Association (“NBA”). As of October 31, 2013, the Company determined that it was the primary beneficiary of 31 VIEs representing 22 properties, which are consolidated. The creditors of the consolidated VIEs do not have recourse to the Company’s general credit. As of October 31, 2013, the Company held variable interests in 66 VIEs for which it is not the primary beneficiary, which are unconsolidated. The maximum exposure to loss as a result of the ownership of these unconsolidated VIEs is limited to the Company’s applicable investment balances, which approximates $62,000,000 at October 31, 2013.
Noncontrolling Interest	'
	Noncontrolling Interest
	Interests held by partners in consolidated entities are reflected in noncontrolling interest, which represents the noncontrolling interests’ share of the underlying net assets of the Company’s consolidated subsidiaries. Noncontrolling interest that is not redeemable is reported in the equity section of the Consolidated Balance Sheets.
	Noncontrolling interests where the Company may be required to repurchase the noncontrolling interest at fair value under a put option or other contractual redemption requirements are reported in the mezzanine section of the Consolidated Balance Sheets, as redeemable noncontrolling interest. The Company adjusts the redeemable noncontrolling interest to redemption value (which approximates fair value) at each balance sheet date with changes recognized as an adjustment to additional paid-in capital (see Note F – Fair Value Measurements).
New Accounting Guidance	'
	New Accounting Guidance
	The following accounting pronouncements were adopted during the nine months ended October 31, 2013:
	In July 2013, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued an amendment to the accounting guidance on the use of benchmark interest rates for hedge accounting. This guidance provides an entity the option to use the Fed Funds Effective Swap Rate, in addition to the rate on United States Treasuries and London Interbank Offered Rate (“LIBOR”), for hedge accounting purposes. The guidance also removes restrictions on using different benchmark rates for similar hedges. This guidance is effective prospectively for qualifying new or redesignated hedging relationships entered into on or after July 17, 2013. The adoption of this guidance on July 17, 2013 did not have a material impact on the Company's consolidated financial statements.
	In February 2013, the FASB issued an amendment to the accounting guidance for the reporting of amounts reclassified out of accumulated OCI. This guidance does not change the current requirements for reporting net income or other comprehensive income in financial statements. However, the amendments require an entity to provide information about the amounts reclassified out of accumulated OCI by component. In addition, an entity is required to present, either on the face of the statement where net income is presented or in the notes, significant amounts reclassified out of accumulated OCI by the respective line items of net income but only if the amount reclassified is required under GAAP to be reclassified to net income in its entirety in the same reporting period. For other amounts that are not required under GAAP to be reclassified in their entirety to net income, an entity is required to cross-reference to other disclosures required under GAAP that provide additional detail about those amounts. This guidance is effective prospectively for reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2012. The required disclosures upon adoption of this guidance on February 1, 2013 are included in the Company’s consolidated financial statements.
	In July 2012, the FASB issued an amendment to the accounting guidance on testing indefinite-lived intangible assets for impairment. This guidance provides an entity the option to first assess qualitative factors to determine whether the existence of events and circumstances indicates that it is more likely than not that the indefinite-lived intangible asset is impaired. If an entity concludes that it is not more likely than not that the asset is impaired, then the entity is not required to take further action. If an entity concludes otherwise, it is required to determine the fair value of the indefinite-lived intangible asset and perform the quantitative test by comparing the fair value with the carrying amount. This guidance is effective for annual and interim impairment tests performed for fiscal years beginning after September 15, 2012. The adoption of this guidance on February 1, 2013 did not have a material impact on the Company’s consolidated financial statements.
	In December 2011, the FASB issued an amendment to the accounting guidance on derecognition of in substance real estate. This guidance specifies that when a parent company (reporting entity) ceases to have a controlling financial interest (as described in the accounting guidance on consolidation) in a subsidiary that is in substance real estate as a result of a default on the subsidiary’s nonrecourse debt, the reporting entity should apply the guidance on property, plant and equipment to determine whether it should derecognize the in substance real estate. Generally, a reporting entity would not satisfy the requirements to derecognize the in substance real estate before the legal transfer of the real estate to the lender and the extinguishment of the related nonrecourse indebtedness. This guidance is effective for fiscal years and interim reporting periods within those years, beginning on or after June 15, 2012. The adoption of this guidance on February 1, 2013 did not impact the Company’s consolidated financial statements or their comparability to previously issued financial statements as the guidance in this amendment is consistent with the Company's previous accounting policies.
	In December 2011, the FASB issued an amendment to the accounting guidance that requires entities to disclose both gross and net information on financial instruments and transactions eligible for offset on the balance sheets and financial instruments and transactions subject to an agreement similar to a master netting arrangement. In January 2013, the FASB issued guidance clarifying that the scope of disclosures about offsetting assets and liabilities should apply only to derivatives and hedging instruments. This guidance is effective for annual and interim reporting periods beginning on or after January 1, 2013. The adoption of this guidance on February 1, 2013 did not have a material impact on the Company’s consolidated financial statements.
	The following new accounting pronouncement will be adopted on its respective required effective date:
	In July 2013, the FASB issued an amendment to the accounting guidance on the presentation of an unrecognized tax benefit when a net operating loss carryforward, a similar tax loss, or tax credit carryforward exists. This guidance, which clarifies whether the unrecognized tax benefit should be recorded as a liability or reduction of the related deferred tax asset, is effective for fiscal years and interim reporting periods within those years, beginning after December 15, 2013. The amendments should be applied prospectively to all unrecognized tax benefits that exist at the effective date. Retrospective application is permitted. The Company does not expect the adoption of this guidance to have a material impact on the Company's consolidated financial statements.
Fair Value of Other Financial Instruments	'
	Fair Value of Other Financial Instruments
	The carrying amount of notes and accounts receivable, excluding the Stapleton advances, and accounts payable, accrued expenses and other liabilities approximates fair value based upon the short-term nature of the instruments. The carrying amount of the Stapleton advances approximates fair value since the interest rates on these advances approximates current market rates. The Company estimates the fair value of its debt instruments by discounting future cash payments at interest rates that the Company believes approximate the current market. Estimated fair value is based upon market prices of public debt, available industry financing data, current treasury rates, recent financing transactions and loan to value ratios. The fair value of the Company’s debt instruments is classified as Level 3 in the fair value hierarchy.

Accounting_Policies_Tables

Accounting Policies (Tables)	9 Months Ended
	Oct. 31, 2013
Accounting Policies [Abstract]	'
Components of accumulated other comprehensive income (loss)	'
	The following table summarizes the components of accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) (“accumulated OCI”):
		October 31, 2013			January 31, 2013
		(in thousands)
	Unrealized (gains) losses on securities	$	(256	)	$	340
	Unrealized (gains) losses on foreign currency translation	189			(69		)
	Unrealized losses on interest rate contracts (1)	136,657			168,497
		136,590			168,768
	Income tax benefit	(52,913		)	(65,382		)
	Noncontrolling interest	(156		)	(183		)
	Accumulated Other Comprehensive Loss	$	83,521		$	103,203
	-1	Included in the amounts as of October 31 and January 31, 2013 are $105,890 and $126,506, respectively, of unrealized loss on an interest rate swap associated with New York Times, an office building in Manhattan, New York, on its nonrecourse mortgage debt with a notional amount of $640,000. This swap effectively fixes the mortgage at an all-in lender interest rate of 6.40% and expires in September 2017.
Schedule of changes in accumulated other comprehensive income (loss)	'
	The following table summarizes the changes, net of tax and noncontrolling interest, of accumulated OCI by component for the nine months ended October 31, 2013:
		Securities			Foreign Currency Translation			Interest Rate Contracts			Total
		(in thousands)
	Balance, February 1, 2013	$	(208	)	$	42		$	(103,037	)	$	(103,203	)
	OCI before reclassifications	365			(158		)	15,942			16,149
	Loss reclassified from accumulated OCI	—			—			3,533			3,533
	Total other comprehensive income	365			(158		)	19,475			19,682
	Balance, October 31, 2013	$	157		$	(116	)	$	(83,562	)	$	(83,521	)
Losses reclassified out of accumulated other comprehensive income (loss)	'
	The following table summarizes losses reclassified from accumulated OCI and their location on the Consolidated Statements of Operations for the nine months ended October 31, 2013:
	Accumulated OCI Components	Loss Reclassified from Accumulated OCI				Location on Consolidated Statements of Operations
		(in thousands)
	Interest rate contracts	$	5,721			Interest expense
	Interest rate contracts	72				Equity in earnings
		5,793				Total before income tax and noncontrolling interest
		(2,247		)		Income tax benefit
		(13		)		Noncontrolling interest
		$	3,533			Loss reclassified from accumulated OCI

Mortgage_Debt_and_Notes_Payabl1

Mortgage Debt and Notes Payable, Nonrecourse (Tables)	9 Months Ended
	Oct. 31, 2013
Mortgage Debt and Notes Payable, Nonrecourse [Abstract]	'
Composition of mortgage debt and notes payable, nonrecourse maturities	'
	The following table summarizes the mortgage debt and notes payable, nonrecourse maturities, as of October 31, 2013:
	Fiscal Years Ending January 31,	Total
		Maturities
		(in thousands)
	2014	$	40,912
	2015	847,092
	2016	490,876
	2017	69,208
	2018	1,037,171
	Thereafter	2,154,004
	Total	$	4,639,263

Bank_Revolving_Credit_Facility1

Bank Revolving Credit Facility (Tables)	9 Months Ended
	Oct. 31, 2013
Debt Disclosure [Abstract]	'
Available credit on the bank revolving credit facility	'
	The following table summarizes the available credit on the Credit Facility:
		October 31, 2013		January 31, 2013
		(in thousands)
	Maximum borrowings	$	500,000	$	450,000
	Less outstanding balances:
	Borrowings	74,900		—
	Letters of credit	60,090		67,456
	Surety bonds	—		—
	Available credit	$	365,010	$	382,544

Senior_and_Subordinated_Debt_T

Senior and Subordinated Debt (Tables)	9 Months Ended
	Oct. 31, 2013
Debt Disclosure [Abstract]	'
Schedule of senior and subordinated debt	'
	The following table summarizes the Company’s senior and subordinated debt:
		October 31, 2013		January 31, 2013
		(in thousands)
	Senior Notes:
	3.625% Puttable Equity-Linked Senior Notes due 2014, net of discount	$	1,112	$	199,457
	7.625% Senior Notes due 2015	—		53,253
	5.000% Convertible Senior Notes due 2016	50,000		50,000
	6.500% Senior Notes due 2017	—		132,144
	4.250% Convertible Senior Notes due 2018	350,000		350,000
	3.625% Convertible Senior Notes due 2020	300,000		—
	7.375% Senior Notes due 2034, net of discount	—		219,115
	Total Senior Notes	701,112		1,003,969
	Subordinated Debt:
	Subordinate Tax Revenue Bonds due 2013	—		29,000
	Total Senior and Subordinated Debt	$	701,112	$	1,032,969

Derivative_Instruments_and_Hed1

Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities (Tables)	9 Months Ended
	Oct. 31, 2013
Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities Disclosure [Abstract]	'
Fair value of derivative instruments	'
	The following table presents the fair values and location in the Consolidated Balance Sheets of all derivative instruments:
		Fair Value of Derivative Instruments
		October 31, 2013
		Asset Derivatives						Liability Derivatives
		(included in Other Assets)						(included in Accounts Payable, Accrued Expenses and Other Liabilities)
		Current		Fair Value				Current			Fair Value
		Notional						Notional
		(in thousands)
	Derivatives Designated as Hedging Instruments
	Interest rate caps	$	—	$	—			$	—		$	—
	Interest rate swap agreements	—		—				961,438			106,571
	TRS	47,900		994				227,785			7,854
	Total	$	47,900	$	994			$	1,189,223		$	114,425
	Derivatives Not Designated as Hedging Instruments
	Interest rate caps	$	450,068	$	12			$	—		$	—
	Interest rate swap agreements	—		—				—			—
	TRS	140,800		19,200				39,066			17,201
	Total	$	590,868	$	19,212			$	39,066		$	17,201
		January 31, 2013
		(in thousands)
	Derivatives Designated as Hedging Instruments
	Interest rate caps	$	—	$	—			$	—		$	—
	Interest rate swap agreements	—		—				1,019,920			129,522
	TRS	28,000		965				238,395			10,915
	Total	$	28,000	$	965			$	1,258,315		$	140,437
	Derivatives Not Designated as Hedging Instruments
	Interest rate caps	$	479,085	$	7			$	—		$	—
	Interest rate swap agreements	18,877		241				—			—
	TRS	140,800		20,101				39,562			15,287
	Total	$	638,762	$	20,349			$	39,562		$	15,287
Derivative Instruments Gain Loss in Statement of Financial Performance and Financial Position	'
	The following tables present the impact of gains and losses related to derivative instruments designated as cash flow hedges included in the accumulated OCI section of the Consolidated Balance Sheets and in equity in earnings and interest expense in the Consolidated Statements of Operations:
					Gain (Loss) Reclassified from
					Accumulated OCI
	Derivatives Designated as	Gain (Loss)			Location on Consolidated Statements	Effective			Ineffective
	Cash Flow Hedging Instruments	Recognized			of Operations	Amount			Amount
		in OCI
		(Effective Portion)
		(in thousands)
	Three Months Ended October 31, 2013
	Interest rate caps, interest rate swaps and Treasury options	$	802		Interest expense	$	(851	)	$	(2,366	)
	Interest rate caps, interest rate swaps and Treasury options	—			Equity in earnings	(14		)	—
	Total	$	802			$	(865	)	$	(2,366	)
	Nine Months Ended October 31, 2013
	Interest rate caps, interest rate swaps and Treasury options	$	26,042		Interest expense	$	(2,758	)	$	(2,963	)
	Interest rate caps, interest rate swaps and Treasury options	—			Equity in earnings	(76		)	4
	Total	$	26,042			$	(2,834	)	$	(2,959	)
	Three Months Ended October 31, 2012
	Interest rate caps, interest rate swaps and Treasury options	$	8,423		Interest expense	$	(994	)	$	—
	Interest rate caps, interest rate swaps and Treasury options	—			Equity in earnings	(91		)	2
	Total	$	8,423			$	(1,085	)	$	2
	Nine Months Ended October 31, 2012
	Interest rate caps, interest rate swaps and Treasury options	$	10,129		Interest expense	$	(2,941	)	$	—
	Interest rate caps, interest rate swaps and Treasury options	—			Equity in earnings	(272		)	10
	Total	$	10,129			$	(3,213	)	$	10
Impact of gains and losses related to derivative instruments	'
	The following table presents the impact of gains and losses related to derivatives instruments not designated as cash flow hedges in the Consolidated Statements of Operations:
		Net Gain (Loss) Recognized
		Three Months Ended October 31,						Nine Months Ended October 31,
		2013		2012				2013			2012
		(in thousands)
	Derivatives Designated as Fair Value Hedging Instruments
	TRS (1)	$	1,864	$	(148	)		$	3,090		$	(518	)
	Derivatives Not Designated as Hedging Instruments
	Interest rate caps and interest rate swaps	$	—	$	(243	)		$	(242	)	$	(689	)
	TRS	6,432		2,672				(2,815		)	10,323
	Total	$	6,432	$	2,429			$	(3,057	)	$	9,634
	-1	The net gain (loss) recognized in interest expense from the change in fair value of the underlying TRS borrowings was $(1,864) and $(3,090) for the three and nine months ended October 31, 2013, respectively, and $148 and $518 for the three and nine months ended October 31, 2012, respectively, offsetting the gain (loss) recognized on the TRS (see Note F – Fair Value Measurements).

Fair_Value_Measurements_Tables

Fair Value Measurements (Tables)	9 Months Ended
	Oct. 31, 2013
Fair Value Disclosures [Abstract]	'
Company's financial assets and liabilities and redeemable noncontrolling interest measured on a recurring basis	'
	The following table presents information about financial assets and liabilities and redeemable noncontrolling interest that were measured at fair value on a recurring basis, and indicates the fair value hierarchy of the valuation techniques utilized to determine such fair value:
		Fair Value Measurements
		October 31, 2013
		Level 1			Level 2			Level 3			Total
		(in thousands)
	Interest rate caps	$	—		$	12		$	—		$	12
	Interest rate swap agreements (liabilities)	—			(681		)	(105,890		)	(106,571		)
	TRS (assets)	—			—			20,194			20,194
	TRS (liabilities)	—			—			(25,055		)	(25,055		)
	Fair value adjustment to the borrowings subject to TRS	—			—			6,860			6,860
	Redeemable noncontrolling interest	—			—			(174,302		)	(174,302		)
	Total	$	—		$	(669	)	$	(278,193	)	$	(278,862	)
		January 31, 2013
		(in thousands)
	Interest rate caps	$	—		$	7		$	—		$	7
	Interest rate swap agreements (assets)	—			241			—			241
	Interest rate swap agreements (liabilities)	—			(3,016		)	(126,506		)	(129,522		)
	TRS (assets)	—			—			21,066			21,066
	TRS (liabilities)	—			—			(26,202		)	(26,202		)
	Fair value adjustment to the borrowings subject to TRS	—			—			9,950			9,950
	Redeemable noncontrolling interest	—			—			(239,136		)	(239,136		)
	Total	$	—		$	(2,768	)	$	(360,828	)	$	(363,596	)
Reconciliation of financial assets and liabilities and redeemable noncontrolling interest measured at fair value on a recurring basis using significant unobservable inputs	'
	The following table presents a reconciliation of all financial assets and liabilities and redeemable noncontrolling interest measured at fair value on a recurring basis using significant unobservable inputs (Level 3):
		Fair Value Measurements
		Redeemable				Interest Rate				Net			Fair value			Total TRS			Total
		Noncontrolling				Swaps				TRS			adjustment			Related
		Interest											to the borrowings
													subject to TRS
		(in thousands)
	Nine Months Ended October 31, 2013
	Balance, February 1, 2013	$	(239,136	)		$	(126,506	)		$	(5,136	)	$	9,950		$	4,814		$	(360,828	)
	Loss attributable to redeemable noncontrolling interest	17,296				—				—			—			—			17,296
	Total realized and unrealized gains (losses):
	Included in earnings	—				—				275			(3,090		)	(2,815		)	(2,815		)
	Included in other comprehensive income	—				20,616				—			—			—			20,616
	Included in additional paid-in capital	47,538				—				—			—			—			47,538
	Balance, October 31, 2013	$	(174,302	)		$	(105,890	)		$	(4,861	)	$	6,860		$	1,999		$	(278,193	)
	Nine Months Ended October 31, 2012
	Balance, February 1, 2012	$	(229,149	)		$	(143,303	)		$	(15,013	)	$	9,180		$	(5,833	)	$	(378,285	)
	Contribution from redeemable noncontrolling interest	(11,348		)		—				—			—			—			(11,348		)
	Loss attributable to redeemable noncontrolling interest	6,316				—				—			—			—			6,316
	Total realized and unrealized gains (losses):
	Included in earnings	—				—				9,805			518			10,323			10,323
	Included in other comprehensive income	—				8,156				—			—			—			8,156
	Included in additional paid-in capital	(6,609		)		—				—			—			—			(6,609		)
	Balance, October 31, 2012	$	(240,790	)		$	(135,147	)		$	(5,208	)	$	9,698		$	4,490		$	(371,447	)
Significant unobservable inputs used to estimate fair value of financial instruments	'
	The following table presents quantitative information about the significant unobservable inputs used to estimate the fair value of financial instruments measured on a recurring basis as of October 31, 2013:
		Quantitative Information about Level 3 Fair Value Measurements
		Fair Value October 31, 2013			Valuation	Unobservable	Input Values
					Technique	Input
		(in thousands)
	Credit valuation adjustment of interest rate swap	$	8,187		Potential future exposure	Credit spread	4.25%
	TRS	$	(4,861	)	Bond quote	Discount rate	N/A(1)
						Capitalization rate	N/A(1)
	Fair value adjustment to the borrowings subject to TRS	$	6,860		Bond quote	Discount rate	N/A(1)
						Capitalization rate	N/A(1)
	Redeemable noncontrolling interest	$	(174,302	)	Discounted cash flows	Discount rate	9.69%
	-1	The Company does not have access to certain significant unobservable inputs used by these third parties to determine these fair values.
Schedule of fair value of nonrecourse mortgage debt and notes payable, bank revolving credit facility and senior and subordinated debt	'
	The following table summarizes the fair value of nonrecourse mortgage debt and notes payable (exclusive of the fair value of derivatives), bank revolving facility, senior and subordinated debt and nonrecourse mortgage debt and notes payable of land held for divestiture:
		October 31, 2013							January 31, 2013
		Carrying Value			Fair Value				Carrying Value			Fair Value
		(in thousands)
	Fixed Rate Debt	$	3,431,177		$	3,602,691			$	4,791,113		$	5,147,849
	Variable Rate Debt	1,984,098			1,938,247				1,982,516			1,940,374
	Total	$	5,415,275		$	5,540,938			$	6,773,629		$	7,088,223

StockBased_Compensation_Tables

Stock-Based Compensation (Tables)	9 Months Ended
	Oct. 31, 2013
Disclosure of Compensation Related Costs, Share-based Payments [Abstract]	'
Amount of stock-based compensation costs and related deferred income tax benefit recognized in the financial statements	'
	The amount of stock-based compensation costs and related deferred income tax benefit recognized in the financial statements are as follows:
		Three Months Ended October 31,						Nine Months Ended October 31,
		2013			2012			2013			2012
		(in thousands)
	Stock option costs	$	673		$	590		$	2,601		$	2,510
	Restricted stock costs	2,722			2,481			8,857			7,833
	Performance share costs	736			417			1,983			974
	Total stock-based compensation costs	4,131			3,488			13,441			11,317
	Less amount capitalized into qualifying real estate projects	(1,590		)	(1,410		)	(4,765		)	(4,031		)
	Amount charged to operating expenses	2,541			2,078			8,676			7,286
	Depreciation expense on capitalized stock-based compensation	241			206			721			620
	Total stock-based compensation expense	$	2,782		$	2,284		$	9,397		$	7,906
	Deferred income tax benefit	$	1,009		$	819		$	3,440		$	2,856

Land_held_for_Divestiture_Tabl

Land held for Divestiture (Tables)	9 Months Ended
	Oct. 31, 2013
Land Held for Divestiture disclosures [Abstract]	'
Schedule of Land Held for Divestiture Activity	'
	The following table summarizes the net gain (loss) on land held for divestiture activity of consolidated entities:
		Three Months Ended October 31,					Nine Months Ended October 31,
		2013		2012			2013			2012
		(in thousands)
	Sales of land held for divestiture	$	—	$	25,384		$	1,768		$	59,894
	Cost of sales of land held for divestiture	—		(26,804		)	(323		)	(51,976		)
	Gain on extinguishment of debt of land held for divestiture	—		2,227			—			2,227
	Net gain on closed transactions of land held for divestiture	—		807			1,445			10,145
	Bad debt expense	—		—			(9,000		)	—
	Impairment of land held for divestiture	—		—			—			(15,796		)
	Net gain (loss) on land held for divestiture activity	$	—	$	807		$	(7,555	)	$	(5,651	)
Unobservable Inputs Used to Determine Fair Value of Non Recurring Impairment of Real Estate [Table Text Block]	'
	The following table presents quantitative information about the significant unobservable inputs used to determine the fair value of impairment of consolidated land held for divestiture for the nine months ended October 31, 2012:
		Quantitative Information about Level 3 Fair Value Measurements
		Fair Value October 31, 2012		Valuation	Unobservable	Range
				Technique	Input	of Input Values
		(in thousands)
	Impairment of land held for divestiture	$	15,663	Indicative bids	Indicative bids	N/A(1)
	Impairment of land held for divestiture	$	926	Discounted cash flows(2)	N/A	N/A
	-1	These fair value measurements were developed by third party sources, subject to the Company’s corroboration for reasonableness.
	-2	The Company used a discounted cash flow technique to estimate fair value; however, due to the estimated holding period being less than twelve months, the impact of discounting was deemed immaterial.
	The following table presents quantitative information about the significant unobservable inputs used to determine the fair value of the impairment of real estate (including discontinued operations) for the nine months ended October 31, 2013 and 2012:
		Quantitative Information about Level 3 Fair Value Measurements
		Fair Value		Valuation	Unobservable	Range
				Technique	Input	of Input Values
		(in thousands)
	October 31, 2013
	Impairment of real estate	$	212,204	Indicative Bids	Indicative Bids	N/A (1)
	Impairment of real estate	$	29,500	Comparable Property Market Analysis	Price Per Square Foot	$22 to $55 per square foot (2)
	October 31, 2012
	Impairment of real estate	$	83,193	Indicative Bids	Indicative Bids	N/A (1)
	Impairment of real estate	$	10,500	Discounted Cash Flow	Discount Rate	10.00%
	-1	These fair value measurements were derived from bona fide purchase offers from third party prospective buyers, subject to the Company’s corroboration for reasonableness.
	-2	Weighted average price is $45 per square foot.
Schedule of Land Held For Divestiture Unconsolidated Entities Activity	'
	The following table summarizes the net gain (loss) on investments in unconsolidated entities which are part of the land divestiture strategy:
		Three Months Ended October 31,					Nine Months Ended October 31,
		2013		2012			2013			2012
		(in thousands)
	Net gain (loss) on sales of land held for divestiture of unconsolidated entities	$	186	$	(283	)	$	867		$	(1,764	)
	Impairment of investments in unconsolidated entities	—		—			—			(40,406		)
	Net gain (loss) on land held for divestiture activity of unconsolidated entities	$	186	$	(283	)	$	867		$	(42,170	)

Net_Gain_on_Disposition_of_Par1

Net Gain on Disposition of Partial Interests in Rental Properties (Tables)	9 Months Ended
	Oct. 31, 2013
Net Gain on Disposition of Partial Interests in Rental Properties [Abstract]	'
Schedule of Net Gain on Disposition of Partial Interests in Rental Properties [Table Text Block]	'
	The net gain on disposition of partial interests in rental properties is comprised of the following:
		Three Months Ended October 31,					Nine Months Ended October 31,
		2013			2012		2013		2012
		(in thousands)
	QIC Joint Venture	$	381,627		$	—	$	381,627	$	—
	New York Retail Joint Venture	109,533			—		114,465		—
		$	491,160		$	—	$	496,092	$	—
Changes to Consolidated Balance Sheet due to Joint Venture transaction [Table Text Block]	'
	The September 2013 QIC Joint Venture transaction, which resulted in the deconsolidation of the seven regional retail properties, inclusive of the Company's acquisition of noncontrolling interests, resulted in the following increases (decreases) to the Consolidated Balance Sheet financial statement line items (in thousands):
	Assets
	Real estate, net	$	(920,602	)
	Cash and equivalents	315,147
	Restricted cash and escrowed funds	(4,326		)
	Notes and accounts receivable, net	(23,201		)
	Investments in and advances to unconsolidated entities	22,571
	Other assets	(90,098		)
	Total Assets	$	(700,509	)
	Liabilities
	Mortgage debt and notes payable, nonrecourse	$	(979,448	)
	Accounts payable, accrued expenses and other liabilities	(17,446		)
	Total Liabilities	$	(996,894	)
	Equity
	Additional paid-in capital	$	(89,644	)
	Retained earnings	381,627
	Noncontrolling interest	4,402
	Total Equity	296,385
	Total Liabilities and Equity	$	(700,509	)

Impairment_of_Real_Estate_Impa1

Impairment of Real Estate, Impairment of Unconsolidated Entities and Write-Off of Abandoned Development Projects (Tables)	9 Months Ended
	Oct. 31, 2013
Impairment of Real Estate Impairment of Unconsolidated Entities and Write Off of Abandoned Development Projects [Abstract]	'
Schedule of Impairment of Real Estate Included in Continuing Operations	'
	The following table summarizes the Company's impairment of real estate included in continuing operations:
			Three Months Ended October 31,					Nine Months Ended October 31,
			2013			2012		2013		2012
			(in thousands)
	LiveWork Las Vegas	Las Vegas, Nevada	$	112,838		$	—	$	112,838	$	—
	Regional Malls:
	Promenade Bolingbrook	Bolingbrook, Illinois	54,194			—		54,194		—
	Orchard Town Center	Westminster, Colorado	15,649			—		15,649		—
	Office Buildings:
	Building J at Illinois Science and Technology Park	Skokie, Illinois	17,474			—		17,474		—
	Halle Building	Cleveland, Ohio	—			30,200		—		30,200
	Investment in triple net lease retail property	Kansas City, Missouri	—			—		6,870		—
	Other		—			—		1,185		460
			$	200,155		$	30,200	$	208,210	$	30,660
Schedule of Impairment of Real Estate Included in Discontinued Operations	'
	The Company had impairments related to consolidated real estate assets that were disposed of during the periods presented. The following table summarizes the Company's impairment of real estate included in discontinued operations:
			Three Months Ended October 31,					Nine Months Ended October 31,
			2013			2012		2013		2012
			(in thousands)
	Investment in triple net lease retail property	Portage, Michigan	$	—		$	—	$	—	$	2,263
	White Oak Village (Specialty Retail Center)	Richmond, Virginia	—			—		—		1,566
	Other		—			164		—		425
			$	—		$	164	$	—	$	4,254
Unobservable Inputs Used to Determine the Fair Value of the Non-recurring Impairment of Real Estate	'
	The following table presents quantitative information about the significant unobservable inputs used to determine the fair value of impairment of consolidated land held for divestiture for the nine months ended October 31, 2012:
		Quantitative Information about Level 3 Fair Value Measurements
		Fair Value October 31, 2012			Valuation	Unobservable	Range
					Technique	Input	of Input Values
		(in thousands)
	Impairment of land held for divestiture	$	15,663		Indicative bids	Indicative bids	N/A(1)
	Impairment of land held for divestiture	$	926		Discounted cash flows(2)	N/A	N/A
	-1	These fair value measurements were developed by third party sources, subject to the Company’s corroboration for reasonableness.
	-2	The Company used a discounted cash flow technique to estimate fair value; however, due to the estimated holding period being less than twelve months, the impact of discounting was deemed immaterial.
	The following table presents quantitative information about the significant unobservable inputs used to determine the fair value of the impairment of real estate (including discontinued operations) for the nine months ended October 31, 2013 and 2012:
		Quantitative Information about Level 3 Fair Value Measurements
		Fair Value			Valuation	Unobservable	Range
					Technique	Input	of Input Values
		(in thousands)
	October 31, 2013
	Impairment of real estate	$	212,204		Indicative Bids	Indicative Bids	N/A (1)
	Impairment of real estate	$	29,500		Comparable Property Market Analysis	Price Per Square Foot	$22 to $55 per square foot (2)
	October 31, 2012
	Impairment of real estate	$	83,193		Indicative Bids	Indicative Bids	N/A (1)
	Impairment of real estate	$	10,500		Discounted Cash Flow	Discount Rate	10.00%
	-1	These fair value measurements were derived from bona fide purchase offers from third party prospective buyers, subject to the Company’s corroboration for reasonableness.
	-2	Weighted average price is $45 per square foot.

Discontinued_Operations_and_Ga1

Discontinued Operations and Gain on Disposition of Rental Properties (Tables)	9 Months Ended
	Oct. 31, 2013
Discontinued Operations and Disposal Groups [Abstract]	'
Summary of rental properties included in discontinued operations	'
	The following table summarizes the rental properties included in discontinued operations:
	Property	Location	Square Feet/ Number of Units	Period Disposed	Three Months Ended 10/31/13	Nine Months Ended 10/31/13	Three Months Ended 10/31/12	Nine Months Ended 10/31/12
	Commercial Group:
	Colorado Studios	Denver, Colorado	75,000 square feet	Q3-2013	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
	Higbee Building	Cleveland, Ohio	815,000 square feet	Q2-2013	—	Yes	Yes	Yes
	Sheraton Station Square	Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania	399 rooms	Q2-2013	—	Yes	Yes	Yes
	Fairmont Plaza	San Jose, California	335,000 square feet	Q4-2012	—	—	Yes	Yes
	White Oak Village	Richmond, Virginia	843,000 square feet	Q3-2012	—	—	Yes	Yes
	Quebec Square	Denver, Colorado	739,000 square feet	Q1-2012	—	—	—	Yes
	Six triple net lease properties	Various	287,000 square feet	Various (1)	—	Yes	Yes	Yes
	Residential Group:
	Millender Center	Detroit, Michigan	339 units	Q1-2013	—	Yes	Yes	Yes
	Emerald Palms	Miami, Florida	505 units	Q4-2012	—	—	Yes	Yes
	Southfield	Whitemarsh, Maryland	212 units	Q3-2012	—	—	Yes	Yes
	-1	Includes one triple net lease property disposed of during Q1-2013, three triple net lease properties disposed of during Q3-2012 and two triple net lease properties disposed of during Q2-2012.
Summary of operating results of discontinued operations	'
	The following table summarizes the operating results related to discontinued operations:
		Three Months Ended October 31,							Nine Months Ended October 31,
		2013			2012				2013			2012
		(in thousands)
	Revenues from real estate operations	$	135		$	20,227			$	20,782		$	60,604
	Expenses
	Operating expenses	429			10,972				12,639			31,171
	Depreciation and amortization	—			2,638				2,014			9,658
	Impairment of real estate	—			164				—			4,254
		429			13,774				14,653			45,083
	Interest expense	(16		)	(2,715		)		(2,785		)	(10,076		)
	Amortization of mortgage procurement costs	—			(54		)		(50		)	(546		)
	Loss on extinguishment of debt	—			(192		)		(40		)	(192		)
	Interest income	—			(7		)		225			272
	Gain on disposition of rental properties	1,239			19,299				44,342			28,178
	Earnings before income taxes	929			22,784				47,821			33,157
	Income tax expense	261			10,142				19,306			13,718
	Earnings from discontinued operations	668			12,642				28,515			19,439
	Noncontrolling interest
	Gain on disposition of rental properties	125			—				5,960			965
	Operating earnings (loss) from rental properties	3			(207		)		16			393
		128			(207		)		5,976			1,358
	Earnings from discontinued operations attributable to Forest City Enterprises, Inc.	$	540		$	12,849			$	22,539		$	18,081
Pre-tax gain on disposition of rental properties	'
	The following table summarizes the pre-tax gain on disposition of rental properties:
		Three Months Ended October 31,							Nine Months Ended October 31,
		2013			2012				2013			2012
		(in thousands)
	Apartment Communities:
	Millender Center	$	—		$	—			$	21,660		$	—
	Southfield	—			13,445				—			13,445
	Sheraton Station Square (Hotel)	—			—				18,096			—
	Office Buildings:
	Higbee Building	—			—				2,922			—
	Colorado Studios	1,239			—				1,239			—
	Triple net lease properties	—			6,568				222			6,568
	Quebec Square (Specialty Retail Center)	—			—				—			8,879
	Other	—			(714		)		203			(714		)
		$	1,239		$	19,299			$	44,342		$	28,178
Gain (loss) on disposition of unconsolidated entities	'
	Gain (Loss) on Disposition of Unconsolidated Entities
	Upon disposition, investments accounted for on the equity method are not classified as discontinued operations; therefore, gains or losses on the disposition of these properties are reported in continuing operations. The following table summarizes gains and losses on the disposition of unconsolidated entities, which are included in equity in earnings:
			Three Months Ended October 31,							Nine Months Ended October 31,
			2013			2012				2013			2012
			(in thousands)
	Westin Convention Center (Hotel)	Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania	$	32,741		$	—			$	32,741		$	—
	Office Buildings:
	Liberty Center	Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania	1,540			—				1,540			—
	Chagrin Plaza I & II	Beachwood, Ohio	—			—				—			1,628
	Specialty Retail Centers:
	Plaza at Robinson Town Center	Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania	—			—				(1,510		)	—
	Village at Gulfstream Park	Hallandale Beach, Florida	—			—				—			14,479
			$	34,281		$	—			$	32,771		$	16,107

Earnings_Per_Share_Tables

Earnings Per Share (Tables)	9 Months Ended
	Oct. 31, 2013
Earnings Per Share [Abstract]	'
Reconciliation of basic and diluted EPS computations	'
	The reconciliation of the basic and diluted EPS computations is shown in the following table:
		Three Months Ended October 31,						Nine Months Ended October 31,
		2013			2012			2013			2012
	Numerators (in thousands)
	Earnings (loss) from continuing operations attributable to Forest City Enterprises, Inc.	$	152,789		$	(13,927	)	$	95,141		$	(40,124	)
	Preferred dividends and inducements of preferred stock conversion	—			(17,731		)	(185		)	(25,431		)
	Undistributed earnings allocated to participating securities	(4,363		)	—			(2,783		)	—
	Earnings (loss) from continuing operations attributable to Forest City Enterprises, Inc. common shareholders ‑ Basic	$	148,426		$	(31,658	)	$	92,173		$	(65,555	)
	Undistributed earnings allocated to participating securities	4,363			—			2,783			—
	Interest on convertible debt	4,323			—			11,137			—
	Earnings (loss) from continuing operations attributable to Forest City Enterprises, Inc. common shareholders ‑ Diluted	$	157,112		$	(31,658	)	$	106,093		$	(65,555	)
	Net earnings (loss) attributable to Forest City Enterprises, Inc.	$	153,329		$	(1,078	)	$	117,680		$	(22,043	)
	Preferred dividends and inducements of preferred stock conversion	—			(17,731		)	(185		)	(25,431		)
	Undistributed earnings allocated to participating securities	(4,378		)	—			(3,444		)	—
	Net earnings (loss) attributable to Forest City Enterprises, Inc. common shareholders ‑ Basic	$	148,951		$	(18,809	)	$	114,051		$	(47,474	)
	Undistributed earnings allocated to participating securities	4,378			—			3,444			—
	Interest on convertible debt	4,323			—			11,137			—
	Net earnings (loss) attributable to Forest City Enterprises, Inc. common shareholders ‑ Diluted	$	157,652		$	(18,809	)	$	128,632		$	(47,474	)
	Denominators
	Weighted average shares outstanding ‑ Basic	197,721,350			170,777,898			192,512,992			169,817,482
	Effect of stock options, restricted stock and performance shares	1,936,522			—			1,460,461			—
	Effect of convertible debt	32,138,215			—			29,659,197			—
	Effect of convertible Class A Common Units	3,646,755			—			3,646,755			—
	Weighted average shares outstanding ‑ Diluted (1)	235,442,842			170,777,898			227,279,405			169,817,482
	Earnings Per Share
	Earnings (loss) from continuing operations attributable to Forest City Enterprises, Inc. common shareholders ‑ Basic	$	0.75		$	(0.19	)	$	0.48		$	(0.39	)
	Earnings (loss) from continuing operations attributable to Forest City Enterprises, Inc. common shareholders ‑ Diluted	$	0.67		$	(0.19	)	$	0.47		$	(0.39	)
	Net earning (loss) attributable to Forest City Enterprises, Inc. common shareholders ‑ Basic	$	0.75		$	(0.11	)	$	0.59		$	(0.28	)
	Net earnings (loss) attributable to Forest City Enterprises, Inc. common shareholders ‑ Diluted	$	0.67		$	(0.11	)	$	0.57		$	(0.28	)
	-1	Incremental shares from dilutive options, restricted stock, performance shares and convertible securities aggregating 51,666,897 and 52,245,656 for the three and nine months ended October 31, 2012 were not included in the computation of diluted EPS because their effect is anti-dilutive due to the loss from continuing operations. Weighted-average shares issuable upon the conversion of preferred stock of 108,334 for the nine months ended October 31, 2013 were not included in the computation of diluted EPS because their effect is anti-dilutive under the if-converted method. Weighted-average options, restricted stock and performance shares of 3,181,351 and 3,695,539 for the three and nine months ended October 31, 2013, respectively, and 3,751,604 and 4,237,027 for the three and nine months ended October 31, 2012, respectively, were not included in the computation of diluted EPS because their effect is anti-dilutive under the treasury stock method.

Segment_Information_Tables

Segment Information (Tables)	9 Months Ended
	Oct. 31, 2013
Segment Reporting [Abstract]	'
Financial data of six reportable segments	'
	The following tables summarize financial data for the Company's six reportable operating segments. All amounts in the following tables are presented in thousands.
		October 31, 2013			31-Jan-13
		Identifiable Assets
	Commercial Group	$	5,461,368		$	7,127,228
	Residential Group	2,480,823			2,060,892
	Arena	994,857			980,321
	Land Development Group	281,230			246,873
	The Nets	—			1,111
	Corporate Activities	111,627			196,007
		$	9,329,905		$	10,612,432
		Three Months Ended October 31,						Nine Months Ended October 31,						Three Months Ended October 31,						Nine Months Ended October 31,
		2013			2012			2013			2012			2013			2012			2013			2012
		Revenues from Real Estate Operations												Operating Expenses
	Commercial Group	$	152,263		$	169,234		$	507,626		$	497,735		$	119,321		$	82,862		$	313,519		$	255,079
	Commercial Group Land Sales	395			5,950			26,786			45,999			402			1,720			15,949			5,286
	Residential Group	73,814			68,871			201,156			194,175			53,089			48,472			149,829			133,047
	Arena	28,403			17,040			78,687			17,366			17,646			15,520			57,130			26,277
	Land Development Group	11,352			11,754			39,681			36,394			7,162			12,548			28,547			35,496
	The Nets	—			—			—			—			—			—			—			—
	Corporate Activities	—			—			—			—			12,635			14,153			38,741			40,507
		$	266,227		$	272,849		$	853,936		$	791,669		$	210,255		$	175,275		$	603,715		$	495,692
		Depreciation and Amortization												Interest Expense
	Commercial Group	$	56,396		$	40,224		$	169,775		$	116,179		$	45,856		$	44,985		$	152,611		$	127,662
	Residential Group	15,511			12,133			43,345			35,581			2,647			5,408			25,306			13,646
	Arena	12,394			2,491			29,670			2,491			9,920			(352		)	28,282			(9,086		)
	Land Development Group	98			202			298			448			85			(145		)	(195		)	4,081
	The Nets	—			—			—			—			—			—			—			—
	Corporate Activities	701			429			2,217			1,015			13,618			16,848			44,096			44,685
		$	85,100		$	55,479		$	245,305		$	155,714		$	72,126		$	66,744		$	250,100		$	180,988
		Interest and Other Income												Capital Expenditures
	Commercial Group	$	5,031		$	2,366		$	9,235		$	12,188		$	38,932		$	80,430		$	146,900		$	284,061
	Residential Group	5,054			5,651			17,600			14,960			64,253			52,459			165,475			106,044
	Arena	—			—			—			—			9,182			110,919			41,035			295,185
	Land Development Group	3,726			2,354			9,999			7,224			—			—			819			181
	The Nets	—			—			—			—			—			—			—			—
	Corporate Activities	70			55			229			132			—			245			229			680
		$	13,881		$	10,426		$	37,063		$	34,504		$	112,367		$	244,053		$	354,458		$	686,151
Reconciliation of net earnings (loss) to FFO by segment	'
	The reconciliations of net earnings (loss) to FFO by segment are shown in the following tables. All amounts are presented in thousands.
	Three Months Ended October 31, 2013	Commercial			Residential			Arena			Land			The Nets			Corporate			Total
		Group			Group						Development						Activities
											Group
	Net earnings (loss) attributable to Forest City Enterprises, Inc. common shareholders	$	281,664		$	12,512		$	(6,481	)	$	6,549		$	(50	)	$	(140,865	)	$	153,329
	Preferred dividends	—			—			—			—			—			—			—
	Net earnings (loss) attributable to Forest City Enterprises, Inc.	$	281,664		$	12,512		$	(6,481	)	$	6,549		$	(50	)	$	(140,865	)	$	153,329
	Depreciation and amortization – Real Estate Groups	67,665			21,754			7,143			47			—			—			96,609
	Net gain on disposition of partial interests in rental properties	(491,160		)	—			—			—			—			—			(491,160		)
	Gain on disposition of unconsolidated entities	(34,281		)	—			—			—			—			—			(34,281		)
	Impairment of consolidated depreciable real estate	87,317			—			—			—			—			—			87,317
	Discontinued operations:
	Gain on disposition of rental properties	(1,114		)	—			—			—			—			—			(1,114		)
	Income tax expense (benefit) on non-FFO:
	Gain on disposition of rental properties	—			—			—			—			—			204,162			204,162
	Impairment of depreciable real estate	—			—			—			—			—			(33,864		)	(33,864		)
	FFO	$	(89,909	)	$	34,266		$	662		$	6,596		$	(50	)	$	29,433		$	(19,002	)
	Three Months Ended October 31, 2012	Commercial			Residential			Arena			Land			The Nets			Corporate			Total
		Group			Group						Development						Activities
											Group
	Net earnings (loss) attributable to Forest City Enterprises, Inc. common shareholders	$	2,405		$	24,925		$	881		$	469		$	(7,477	)	$	(40,012	)	$	(18,809	)
	Preferred dividends and inducements of preferred stock conversion	—			—			—			—			—			17,731			17,731
	Net earnings (loss) attributable to Forest City Enterprises, Inc.	$	2,405		$	24,925		$	881		$	469		$	(7,477	)	$	(22,281	)	$	(1,078	)
	Depreciation and amortization – Real Estate Groups	48,490			20,875			1,397			146			—			—			70,908
	Impairment of consolidated depreciable real estate	30,200			—			—			—			—			—			30,200
	Discontinued operations:
	Depreciation and amortization – Real Estate Groups	1,931			687			—			—			—			—			2,618
	Gain on disposition of rental properties	(5,854		)	(13,445		)	—			—			—			—			(19,299		)
	Impairment of consolidated depreciable real estate	164			—			—			—			—			—			164
	Income tax expense (benefit) on non-FFO:
	Gain on disposition of rental properties	—			—			—			—			—			7,893			7,893
	Impairment of depreciable real estate	—			—			—			—			—			(11,776		)	(11,776		)
	FFO	$	77,336		$	33,042		$	2,278		$	615		$	(7,477	)	$	(26,164	)	$	79,630
	Reconciliation of Net Earnings (Loss) to FFO by Segment (continued):
	Nine Months Ended October 31, 2013	Commercial			Residential			Arena			Land			The Nets			Corporate			Total
		Group			Group						Development						Activities
											Group
	Net earnings (loss) attributable to Forest City Enterprises, Inc. common shareholders	$	287,956		$	31,320		$	(19,996	)	$	11,918		$	(2,763	)	$	(190,940	)	$	117,495
	Preferred dividends	—			—			—			—			—			185			185
	Net earnings (loss) attributable to Forest City Enterprises, Inc.	$	287,956		$	31,320		$	(19,996	)	$	11,918		$	(2,763	)	$	(190,755	)	$	117,680
	Depreciation and amortization – Real Estate Groups	198,741			64,952			17,090			229			—			—			281,012
	Net gain on disposition of partial interests in rental properties	(496,092		)	—			—			—			—			—			(496,092		)
	Gain on disposition of unconsolidated entities	(32,771		)	—			—			—			—			—			(32,771		)
	Impairment of consolidated depreciable real estate	94,187			1,185			—			—			—			—			95,372
	Discontinued operations:
	Depreciation and amortization – Real Estate Groups	1,835			165			—			—			—			—			2,000
	Gain on disposition of rental properties	(22,354		)	(16,028		)	—			—			—			—			(38,382		)
	Income tax expense (benefit) on non-FFO:
	Gain on disposition of rental properties	—			—			—			—			—			220,993			220,993
	Impairment of depreciable real estate	—			—			—			—			—			(36,988		)	(36,988		)
	FFO	$	31,502		$	81,594		$	(2,906	)	$	12,147		$	(2,763	)	$	(6,750	)	$	112,824
	Nine Months Ended October 31, 2012	Commercial			Residential			Arena			Land			The Nets			Corporate			Total
		Group			Group						Development						Activities
											Group
	Net earnings (loss) attributable to Forest City Enterprises, Inc. common shareholders	$	79,366		$	46,171		$	3,493		$	(47,672	)	$	(22,707	)	$	(106,125	)	$	(47,474	)
	Preferred dividends and inducements of preferred stock conversion	—			—			—			—			—			25,431			25,431
	Net earnings (loss) attributable to Forest City Enterprises, Inc.	$	79,366		$	46,171		$	3,493		$	(47,672	)	$	(22,707	)	$	(80,694	)	$	(22,043	)
	Depreciation and amortization – Real Estate Groups	143,851			61,230			1,397			355			—			—			206,833
	Gain on disposition of unconsolidated entities	(16,107		)	—			—			—			—			—			(16,107		)
	Impairment of consolidated depreciable real estate	30,660			—			—			—			—			—			30,660
	Impairment of unconsolidated depreciable real estate	—			—			—			390			—			—			390
	Discontinued operations:
	Depreciation and amortization – Real Estate Groups	7,012			2,591			—			—			—			—			9,603
Gain on disposition of rental properties	(13,768		)	(13,445		)	—			—			—			—			(27,213		)
Impairment of consolidated depreciable real estate	4,254			—			—			—			—			—			4,254
Income tax expense (benefit) on non-FFO:
Gain on disposition of rental properties	—			—			—			—			—			17,174			17,174
Impairment of depreciable real estate	—			—			—			—			—			(13,692		)	(13,692		)
FFO	$	235,268		$	96,547		$	4,890		$	(46,927	)	$	(22,707	)	$	(77,212	)	$	189,859

Accounting_Policies_Details_1

Accounting Policies (Details 1) (USD $)	Oct. 31, 2013		Jan. 31, 2013
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified
The components of accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) ("accumulated OCI")	'		'
Unrealized (gains) losses on securities	($256)		$340
Unrealized (gains) losses on foreign currency translation	189		-69
Unrealized losses on interest rate contracts	136,657	[1]	168,497	[1]
Accumulated other comprehensive income, before tax	136,590		168,768
Income tax benefit	-52,913		-65,382
Noncontrolling interest	-156		-183
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Loss	$83,521		$103,203
[1]	Included in the amounts as of OctoberB 31 and JanuaryB 31,B 2013 are $105,890 and $126,506, respectively, of unrealized loss on an interest rate swap associated with NewB YorkB Times, an office building in Manhattan,B NewB York, on its nonrecourse mortgage debt with a notional amount of $640,000. This swap effectively fixes the mortgage at an all-in lender interest rate of 6.40% and expires in September 2017.

Accounting_Policies_Accounting

Accounting Policies Accounting Policies (Details 2) (USD $)	9 Months Ended
	Oct. 31, 2013
Schedule of Changes in Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income [Line Items]	'
Balance, February 1, 2013	($103,203,000)
OCI before reclassifications	16,149,000
Loss reclassified from accumulated OCI	3,533,000
Total other comprehensive income	19,682,000
Balance, October 31, 2013	-83,521,000
Securities	'
Schedule of Changes in Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income [Line Items]	'
Balance, February 1, 2013	-208,000
OCI before reclassifications	365,000
Loss reclassified from accumulated OCI	0
Total other comprehensive income	365,000
Balance, October 31, 2013	157,000
Foreign Currency Translation	'
Schedule of Changes in Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income [Line Items]	'
Balance, February 1, 2013	42,000
OCI before reclassifications	-158,000
Loss reclassified from accumulated OCI	0
Total other comprehensive income	-158,000
Balance, October 31, 2013	-116,000
Interest rate Contracts	'
Schedule of Changes in Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income [Line Items]	'
Balance, February 1, 2013	-103,037,000
OCI before reclassifications	15,942,000
Loss reclassified from accumulated OCI	3,533,000
Total other comprehensive income	19,475,000
Balance, October 31, 2013	($83,562,000)

Accounting_Policies_Accounting1

Accounting Policies Accounting Policies (Details 3) (USD $)	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Oct. 31, 2013	Oct. 31, 2012	Oct. 31, 2013	Oct. 31, 2012
Reclassification Adjustment out of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income [Line Items]	'	'	'	'
Interest expense	$72,126,000	$66,744,000	$250,100,000	$180,988,000
Equity in earnings	-46,474,000	-4,189,000	-59,815,000	-24,627,000
Income tax benefit	100,644,000	-20,025,000	68,522,000	-19,888,000
Reclassification out of accumulated OCI [Member] | Accumulated net gain (loss) from designated or qualifying cash flow hedges [Member]	'	'	'	'
Reclassification Adjustment out of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income [Line Items]	'	'	'	'
Interest expense	'	'	5,721,000	'
Equity in earnings	'	'	72,000	'
Total before income tax and noncontrolling interest	'	'	5,793,000	'
Income tax benefit	'	'	-2,247,000	'
Noncontrolling interest	'	'	-13,000	'
Loss reclassified from accumulated OCI	'	'	$3,533,000	'

Accounting_Policies_Accounting2

Accounting Policies Accounting Policies (Details Textuals) (Ten MetroTech Center [Member], USD $)	3 Months Ended	9 Months Ended
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Oct. 31, 2013	Oct. 31, 2013
Ten MetroTech Center [Member]	'	'
Depreciation, by Property [Line Items]	'	'
Accelerated depreciation expense	$18,217	$45,500

Accounting_Policies_Details_Te

Accounting Policies (Details Textual 1) (USD $)	Oct. 31, 2013
In Millions, unless otherwise specified
Variable Interest Entity [Line Items]	'
Maximum loss exposure for unconsolidated variable interest entities	$62
Primary beneficiary [Member]	'
Variable Interest Entity [Line Items]	'
Number of variable interest entities	31
Number of properties represented by variable interest entities	22
Not primary beneficiary [Member]	'
Variable Interest Entity [Line Items]	'
Number of variable interest entities	66

Accounting_Policies_Details_Te1

Accounting Policies (Details Textual 3) (USD $)	9 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
	Oct. 31, 2013	Jan. 31, 2013
Accounting Policies (Textual) [Abstract]	'	'
Unrealized losses on an interest rate swap associated with office building	$105,890,000	$126,506,000
Notional amount	$640,000,000	'
Nonrecourse mortgage debt [Member]	'	'
Accounting Policies (Textual) [Abstract]	'	'
All-in lender interest rate	6.40%	'
Maturity date of swap agreement	1-Sep-17	'

Mortgage_Debt_and_Notes_Payabl2

Mortgage Debt and Notes Payable, Nonrecourse (Details) (USD $)	Oct. 31, 2013	Jan. 31, 2013
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified
Composition of mortgage debt and notes payable, nonrecourse maturities	'	'
Mortgage debt and notes payable nonrecourse maturities total maturities in 2014	$40,912	'
Mortgage debt and notes payable nonrecourse maturities total maturities in 2015	847,092	'
Mortgage debt and notes payable nonrecourse maturities total maturities in 2016	490,876	'
Mortgage debt and notes payable nonrecourse maturities total maturities in 2017	69,208	'
Mortgage debt and notes payable nonrecoures maturities total maturities in 2018	1,037,171	'
Mortgage debt and notes payable nonrecourse maturities total maturities thereafter	2,154,004	'
Mortgage debt and notes payable, nonrecourse	$4,639,263	$5,738,960

Bank_Revolving_Credit_Facility2

Bank Revolving Credit Facility (Details) (USD $)	Oct. 31, 2013	Jan. 31, 2013
Debt Disclosure [Abstract]	'	'
Maximum borrowings	$500,000,000	$450,000,000
Borrowings	74,900,000	0
Letters of credit	60,090,000	67,456,000
Surety bonds	0	0
Available credit	$365,010,000	$382,544,000

Bank_Revolving_Credit_Facility3

Bank Revolving Credit Facility (Details Textual) (USD $)	Oct. 31, 2013	Jan. 31, 2013	Oct. 31, 2013	Jul. 03, 2013	Feb. 28, 2013	Oct. 31, 2013	Oct. 31, 2013	Oct. 31, 2013	Jan. 31, 2013	Oct. 31, 2013	Jan. 31, 2013
			Revolving credit facility [Member]	Revolving credit facility [Member]	Revolving credit facility [Member]	Common stock Class A [Member]	Common Class A or B [Member]	Senior Notes due 2017 [Member]	Senior Notes due 2017 [Member]	Senior Notes due 2034 [Member]	Senior Notes due 2034 [Member]
						Revolving credit facility [Member]	Revolving credit facility [Member]
Line of Credit Facility [Line Items]	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'
Total available borrowings	$500,000,000	$450,000,000	'	$500,000,000	$465,000,000	'	'	'	'	'	'
Total available borrowing capacity under accordion provision	'	'	'	'	500,000,000	'	'	'	'	'	'
Credit Facility maturity terms	'	'	'FebruaryB 21,B 2016 and provides for one, 12-month extension option	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'
Number of Credit Facility extension options	'	'	1	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'
Term of Credit Facility extension option	'	'	'12 months	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'
Credit Facility interest rate	'	'	'LIBOR plus 3.50%	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'
Variable rate basis of debt instrument	'	'	'LIBOR	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'
Variable rate basis spread of debt instrument	'	'	3.50%	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'
Amount of available borrowings that can be used for letters of credit and/or surety bonds	'	'	'	'	100,000,000	'	'	'	'	'	'
Maximum Class A common stock repurchase amount	'	'	'	'	'	100,000,000	'	'	'	'	'
Maximum dividend restriction in any four fiscal quarter period	'	'	'	'	'	'	$24,000,000	'	'	'	'
Interest rate	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	6.50%	6.50%	7.38%	7.38%

Senior_and_Subordinated_Debt_D

Senior and Subordinated Debt (Details) (USD $)	Oct. 31, 2013	Jan. 31, 2013
Senior Notes	'	'
Total Senior Notes	$701,112,000	$1,003,969,000
Subordinated Debt [Abstract]	'	'
Senior and Subordinated debt	701,112,000	1,032,969,000
Puttable Equity-Linked Senior Notes due 2014 [Member]	'	'
Debt Instrument [Line Items]	'	'
Interest rate	3.63%	3.63%
Senior Notes	'	'
Total Senior Notes	1,112,000	199,457,000
Senior Notes due 2015 [Member]	'	'
Debt Instrument [Line Items]	'	'
Interest rate	7.63%	7.63%
Senior Notes	'	'
Total Senior Notes	0	53,253,000
Convertible Senior Notes due 2016 [Member]	'	'
Debt Instrument [Line Items]	'	'
Interest rate	5.00%	5.00%
Senior Notes	'	'
Total Senior Notes	50,000,000	50,000,000
Senior Notes due 2017 [Member]	'	'
Debt Instrument [Line Items]	'	'
Interest rate	6.50%	6.50%
Senior Notes	'	'
Total Senior Notes	0	132,144,000
Convertible Senior Notes due 2018 [Member]	'	'
Debt Instrument [Line Items]	'	'
Interest rate	4.25%	4.25%
Senior Notes	'	'
Total Senior Notes	350,000,000	350,000,000
Convertible Senior Notes due 2020 [Member]	'	'
Debt Instrument [Line Items]	'	'
Interest rate	3.63%	3.63%
Senior Notes	'	'
Total Senior Notes	300,000,000	0
Senior Notes due 2034 [Member]	'	'
Debt Instrument [Line Items]	'	'
Interest rate	7.38%	7.38%
Senior Notes	'	'
Total Senior Notes	0	219,115,000
Subordinate Tax Revenue Bonds due 2013 [Member]	'	'
Subordinated Debt [Abstract]	'	'
Subordinate Tax Revenue Bonds due 2013	$0	$29,000,000

Senior_and_Subordinated_Debt_S

Senior and Subordinated Debt Senior and Subordinated Debt (Details Textuals) (USD $)

0 Months Ended

3 Months Ended

9 Months Ended

9 Months Ended

3 Months Ended

0 Months Ended

9 Months Ended

0 Months Ended

9 Months Ended

Apr. 16, 2013

Oct. 31, 2013

Oct. 31, 2012

Oct. 31, 2013

Oct. 31, 2012

Jul. 12, 2013

Oct. 31, 2013

Oct. 31, 2013

Apr. 16, 2013

Oct. 31, 2013

Jul. 12, 2013

Jan. 31, 2013

Oct. 31, 2013

Mar. 29, 2013

Jan. 31, 2013

Oct. 31, 2013

Aug. 23, 2013

Jan. 31, 2013

Oct. 31, 2013

Jul. 31, 2013

Jan. 31, 2013

Oct. 31, 2013

Oct. 15, 2013

Jan. 31, 2013

Apr. 16, 2013

Oct. 31, 2013

Jul. 12, 2013

Nov. 21, 2013

Puttable Equity-Linked Senior Notes due 2014 [Member]

Senior Notes due 2034 [Member]

Puttable Equity-Linked Senior Notes due 2014 [Member]

Puttable Equity-Linked Senior Notes due 2014 [Member]

Puttable Equity-Linked Senior Notes due 2014 [Member]

Puttable Equity-Linked Senior Notes due 2014 [Member]

Senior Notes due 2015 [Member]

Senior Notes due 2015 [Member]

Senior Notes due 2015 [Member]

Senior Notes due 2017 [Member]

Senior Notes due 2017 [Member]

Senior Notes due 2017 [Member]

Convertible Senior Notes due 2020 [Member]

Convertible Senior Notes due 2020 [Member]

Convertible Senior Notes due 2020 [Member]

Senior Notes due 2034 [Member]

Senior Notes due 2034 [Member]

Senior Notes due 2034 [Member]

Class A common stock [Member]

Class A common stock [Member]

Class A common stock [Member]

Subsequent Event [Member]

D

Puttable Equity-Linked Senior Notes due 2014 [Member]

Debt Instrument [Line Items]

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Principal amount of notes redeemed

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

$53,253,000

'

'

$132,144,000

'

'

'

'

'

$225,000,000

'

'

'

'

$1,114,000

Interest rate

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

3.63%

'

3.63%

7.63%

'

7.63%

6.50%

'

6.50%

3.63%

'

3.63%

7.38%

'

7.38%

'

'

'

'

Aggregate principal amount of Senior Notes exchanged for Class A common stock

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

138,853,000

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Issuance of Class A shares in exchange for Senior Notes due 2014

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

9,549,721

13,679,000

'

'

Cash payment for additional exchange consideration, accrued interest and in lieu of fractional shares

4,860,000

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Loss on extinguishment of debt

'

13,096,000

-8,007,000

-6,335,000

-7,288,000

'

4,762,000

12,094,000

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Aggregate principal amount of Senior Notes put to the Company

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

60,033,000

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Number of shares received by the note holder upon put

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

4,128,806

'

Cash payments for interest payable and in lieu of fractional shares for put transaction

'

'

'

'

'

1,088,000

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Senior notes issued

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

300,000,000

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Interest payable on Senior Notes

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'semi-annually on FebruaryB 15 and AugustB 15

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Net cash proceeds from issuance of Senior Notes

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

291,250,000

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Number of Class A common stock shares received by the note holder upon conversion

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

41.3129

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Principal amount of Senior Notes

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

$1,000

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Conversion price per share

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

$24.21

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Percentage of weighted average price of common stock equaled or exceeded conversion price

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

130.00%

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Weighted average price of common stock equaled or exceeded conversion price

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

$31.47

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Minimum trading days during which daily volume weighted average price exceeds or equals conversion price

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

20

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Number of consecutive trading days

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'30 days

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Minimum number of days after mailing redemption notice for effective redemption date

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'30 days

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Maximum number of days after mailing redemption notice for effective redemption date

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'60 days

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Derivative_Instruments_and_Hed2

Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities (Details) (USD $)	Oct. 31, 2013	Jan. 31, 2013
Other Assets [Member] | Designated as Hedging Instrument [Member]	'	'
Fair Value of Derivative Instruments	'	'
Asset Derivatives, Current Notional	$47,900,000	$28,000,000
Asset Derivatives, Fair Value	994,000	965,000
Other Assets [Member] | Not Designated as Hedging Instrument [Member]	'	'
Fair Value of Derivative Instruments	'	'
Asset Derivatives, Current Notional	590,868,000	638,762,000
Asset Derivatives, Fair Value	19,212,000	20,349,000
Accounts Payable, Accrued Expenses and Other Liabilities [Member] | Designated as Hedging Instrument [Member]	'	'
Fair Value of Derivative Instruments	'	'
Liability Derivatives, Current Notional	1,189,223,000	1,258,315,000
Liability Derivatives, Fair Value	114,425,000	140,437,000
Accounts Payable, Accrued Expenses and Other Liabilities [Member] | Not Designated as Hedging Instrument [Member]	'	'
Fair Value of Derivative Instruments	'	'
Liability Derivatives, Current Notional	39,066,000	39,562,000
Liability Derivatives, Fair Value	17,201,000	15,287,000
Interest rate caps [Member] | Other Assets [Member] | Designated as Hedging Instrument [Member]	'	'
Fair Value of Derivative Instruments	'	'
Asset Derivatives, Current Notional	0	0
Asset Derivatives, Fair Value	0	0
Interest rate caps [Member] | Other Assets [Member] | Not Designated as Hedging Instrument [Member]	'	'
Fair Value of Derivative Instruments	'	'
Asset Derivatives, Current Notional	450,068,000	479,085,000
Asset Derivatives, Fair Value	12,000	7,000
Interest rate caps [Member] | Accounts Payable, Accrued Expenses and Other Liabilities [Member] | Designated as Hedging Instrument [Member]	'	'
Fair Value of Derivative Instruments	'	'
Liability Derivatives, Current Notional	0	0
Liability Derivatives, Fair Value	0	0
Interest rate caps [Member] | Accounts Payable, Accrued Expenses and Other Liabilities [Member] | Not Designated as Hedging Instrument [Member]	'	'
Fair Value of Derivative Instruments	'	'
Liability Derivatives, Current Notional	0	0
Liability Derivatives, Fair Value	0	0
Interest rate swap agreements [Member] | Other Assets [Member] | Designated as Hedging Instrument [Member]	'	'
Fair Value of Derivative Instruments	'	'
Asset Derivatives, Current Notional	0	0
Asset Derivatives, Fair Value	0	0
Interest rate swap agreements [Member] | Other Assets [Member] | Not Designated as Hedging Instrument [Member]	'	'
Fair Value of Derivative Instruments	'	'
Asset Derivatives, Current Notional	0	18,877,000
Asset Derivatives, Fair Value	0	241,000
Interest rate swap agreements [Member] | Accounts Payable, Accrued Expenses and Other Liabilities [Member] | Designated as Hedging Instrument [Member]	'	'
Fair Value of Derivative Instruments	'	'
Liability Derivatives, Current Notional	961,438,000	1,019,920,000
Liability Derivatives, Fair Value	106,571,000	129,522,000
Interest rate swap agreements [Member] | Accounts Payable, Accrued Expenses and Other Liabilities [Member] | Not Designated as Hedging Instrument [Member]	'	'
Fair Value of Derivative Instruments	'	'
Liability Derivatives, Current Notional	0	0
Liability Derivatives, Fair Value	0	0
Total Return Swap [Member] | Other Assets [Member] | Designated as Hedging Instrument [Member]	'	'
Fair Value of Derivative Instruments	'	'
Asset Derivatives, Current Notional	47,900,000	28,000,000
Asset Derivatives, Fair Value	994,000	965,000
Total Return Swap [Member] | Other Assets [Member] | Not Designated as Hedging Instrument [Member]	'	'
Fair Value of Derivative Instruments	'	'
Asset Derivatives, Current Notional	140,800,000	140,800,000
Asset Derivatives, Fair Value	19,200,000	20,101,000
Total Return Swap [Member] | Accounts Payable, Accrued Expenses and Other Liabilities [Member] | Designated as Hedging Instrument [Member]	'	'
Fair Value of Derivative Instruments	'	'
Liability Derivatives, Current Notional	227,785,000	238,395,000
Liability Derivatives, Fair Value	7,854,000	10,915,000
Total Return Swap [Member] | Accounts Payable, Accrued Expenses and Other Liabilities [Member] | Not Designated as Hedging Instrument [Member]	'	'
Fair Value of Derivative Instruments	'	'
Liability Derivatives, Current Notional	39,066,000	39,562,000
Liability Derivatives, Fair Value	$17,201,000	$15,287,000

Derivative_Instruments_and_Hed3

Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities (Details 1) (Cash Flow Hedging [Member], USD $)	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Oct. 31, 2013	Oct. 31, 2012	Oct. 31, 2013	Oct. 31, 2012
Derivative instruments gain loss in financial statements	'	'	'	'
Gain (loss) recognized in OCI (effective portion)	$802,000	$8,423,000	$26,042,000	$10,129,000
Gain (loss) reclassified from accumulated OCI, effective amount	-865,000	-1,085,000	-2,834,000	-3,213,000
Gain (loss) reclassified from accumulated OCI, ineffective amount	-2,366,000	2,000	-2,959,000	10,000
Interest rate caps, interest rate swaps and Treasury options [Member]	'	'	'	'
Derivative instruments gain loss in financial statements	'	'	'	'
Gain (loss) recognized in OCI (effective portion)	802,000	8,423,000	26,042,000	10,129,000
Interest rate caps, interest rate swaps and Treasury options [Member] | Interest expense [Member]	'	'	'	'
Derivative instruments gain loss in financial statements	'	'	'	'
Gain (loss) reclassified from accumulated OCI, effective amount	-851,000	-994,000	-2,758,000	-2,941,000
Gain (loss) reclassified from accumulated OCI, ineffective amount	-2,366,000	0	-2,963,000	0
Interest rate caps, swaps and Treasury options [Member]	'	'	'	'
Derivative instruments gain loss in financial statements	'	'	'	'
Gain (loss) recognized in OCI (effective portion)	0	0	0	0
Interest rate caps, swaps and Treasury options [Member] | Equity in earnings [Member]	'	'	'	'
Derivative instruments gain loss in financial statements	'	'	'	'
Gain (loss) reclassified from accumulated OCI, effective amount	-14,000	-91,000	-76,000	-272,000
Gain (loss) reclassified from accumulated OCI, ineffective amount	$0	$2,000	$4,000	$10,000

Derivative_Instruments_and_Hed4

Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities (Details 2) (USD $)	3 Months Ended				9 Months Ended
	Oct. 31, 2013		Oct. 31, 2012		Oct. 31, 2013		Oct. 31, 2012
Not Designated as Hedging Instrument [Member]	'		'		'		'
Derivative Instruments, Gain (Loss) [Line Items]	'		'		'		'
Net Gain (Loss) Recognized In Income Statement-Derivatives	$6,432,000		$2,429,000		($3,057,000)		$9,634,000
Total Return Swap [Member] | Not Designated as Hedging Instrument [Member]	'		'		'		'
Derivative Instruments, Gain (Loss) [Line Items]	'		'		'		'
Net Gain (Loss) Recognized In Income Statement-Derivatives	6,432,000		2,672,000		-2,815,000		10,323,000
Total Return Swap [Member] | Fair Value Hedging [Member]	'		'		'		'
Derivative Instruments, Gain (Loss) [Line Items]	'		'		'		'
Net Gain (Loss) Recognized In Income Statement-Derivatives	1,864,000	[1]	-148,000	[1]	3,090,000	[1]	-518,000	[1]
Interest rate caps and interest rate swaps [Member] | Not Designated as Hedging Instrument [Member]	'		'		'		'
Derivative Instruments, Gain (Loss) [Line Items]	'		'		'		'
Net Gain (Loss) Recognized In Income Statement-Derivatives	$0		($243,000)		($242,000)		($689,000)
[1]	The net gain (loss) recognized in interest expense from the change in fair value of the underlying TRS borrowings was $(1,864) and $(3,090) for the three and nine months ended OctoberB 31,B 2013, respectively, and $148 and $518 for the three and nine months ended OctoberB 31,B 2012, respectively, offsetting the gainB (loss) recognized on the TRS (see Note F b Fair Value Measurements).

Derivative_Instruments_and_Hed5

Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities (Details Textual) (USD $)	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Oct. 31, 2013	Oct. 31, 2012	Oct. 31, 2013	Oct. 31, 2012
Derivative [Line Items]	'	'	'	'
Notional amount	$640,000,000	'	$640,000,000	'
Loss on cash flow hedges to be reclassified within next twelve months	'	'	25,355,000	'
SIFMA rate	0.08%	'	0.08%	'
Net gain (loss) from change in fair value of underlying TRS borrowings recognized in interest expense	-1,864,000	148,000	-3,090,000	518,000
Adjustment for nonperformance risk	8,190,000	'	8,190,000	'
Aggregate fair value of derivative instruments in a liability position	139,816,000	'	139,816,000	'
Posted collateral consisting of cash and notes receivable	105,736,000	'	105,736,000	'
Forward starting swaps and Treasury options [Member]	'	'	'	'
Derivative [Line Items]	'	'	'	'
Notional amount	0	'	0	'
Minimum [Member] | Interest rate swap agreements [Member]	'	'	'	'
Derivative [Line Items]	'	'	'	'
Derivative, term of ontract	'	'	'1 year	'
Minimum [Member] | Caps and floors [Member]	'	'	'	'
Derivative [Line Items]	'	'	'	'
Derivative, term of ontract	'	'	'1 year	'
Minimum [Member] | Treasury options [Member]	'	'	'	'
Derivative [Line Items]	'	'	'	'
Derivative, term of ontract	'	'	'5 years	'
Maximum [Member] | Interest rate swap agreements [Member]	'	'	'	'
Derivative [Line Items]	'	'	'	'
Derivative, term of ontract	'	'	'10 years	'
Maximum [Member] | Caps and floors [Member]	'	'	'	'
Derivative [Line Items]	'	'	'	'
Derivative, term of ontract	'	'	'3 years	'
Maximum [Member] | Treasury options [Member]	'	'	'	'
Derivative [Line Items]	'	'	'	'
Derivative, term of ontract	'	'	'10 years	'
Designated as Hedging Instrument [Member] | Total Return Swap [Member]	'	'	'	'
Derivative [Line Items]	'	'	'	'
Notional amount	275,685,000	'	275,685,000	'
Cash Flow Hedging [Member]	'	'	'	'
Derivative [Line Items]	'	'	'	'
Loss on interest rate cash flow hedge ineffectiveness	$2,366,000	'	$2,963,000	'

Fair_Value_Measurements_Detail

Fair Value Measurements (Details) (Fair value measurement, recurring basis [Member], USD $)	Oct. 31, 2013	Jan. 31, 2013
Financial assets and liabilities and redeemable noncontrolling interests on a recurring basis	'	'
Fair value adjustment to the borrowings subject to TRS	$6,860,000	$9,950,000
Redeemable noncontrolling interest	-174,302,000	-239,136,000
Fair value of financial assets and liabilities and redeemable noncontrolling interests on a recurring basis	-278,862,000	-363,596,000
Interest rate caps [Member]	'	'
Financial assets and liabilities and redeemable noncontrolling interests on a recurring basis	'	'
Derivative assets	12,000	7,000
Interest rate swap agreements [Member]	'	'
Financial assets and liabilities and redeemable noncontrolling interests on a recurring basis	'	'
Derivative assets	'	241,000
Derivative liabilities	-106,571,000	-129,522,000
Total Return Swap [Member]	'	'
Financial assets and liabilities and redeemable noncontrolling interests on a recurring basis	'	'
Derivative assets	20,194,000	21,066,000
Derivative liabilities	-25,055,000	-26,202,000
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 1 [Member]	'	'
Financial assets and liabilities and redeemable noncontrolling interests on a recurring basis	'	'
Fair value adjustment to the borrowings subject to TRS	0	0
Redeemable noncontrolling interest	0	0
Fair value of financial assets and liabilities and redeemable noncontrolling interests on a recurring basis	0	0
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 1 [Member] | Interest rate caps [Member]	'	'
Financial assets and liabilities and redeemable noncontrolling interests on a recurring basis	'	'
Derivative assets	0	0
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 1 [Member] | Interest rate swap agreements [Member]	'	'
Financial assets and liabilities and redeemable noncontrolling interests on a recurring basis	'	'
Derivative assets	'	0
Derivative liabilities	0	0
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 1 [Member] | Total Return Swap [Member]	'	'
Financial assets and liabilities and redeemable noncontrolling interests on a recurring basis	'	'
Derivative assets	0	0
Derivative liabilities	0	0
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 2 [Member]	'	'
Financial assets and liabilities and redeemable noncontrolling interests on a recurring basis	'	'
Fair value adjustment to the borrowings subject to TRS	0	0
Redeemable noncontrolling interest	0	0
Fair value of financial assets and liabilities and redeemable noncontrolling interests on a recurring basis	-669,000	-2,768,000
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 2 [Member] | Interest rate caps [Member]	'	'
Financial assets and liabilities and redeemable noncontrolling interests on a recurring basis	'	'
Derivative assets	12,000	7,000
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 2 [Member] | Interest rate swap agreements [Member]	'	'
Financial assets and liabilities and redeemable noncontrolling interests on a recurring basis	'	'
Derivative assets	'	241,000
Derivative liabilities	-681,000	-3,016,000
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 2 [Member] | Total Return Swap [Member]	'	'
Financial assets and liabilities and redeemable noncontrolling interests on a recurring basis	'	'
Derivative assets	0	0
Derivative liabilities	0	0
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 3 [Member]	'	'
Financial assets and liabilities and redeemable noncontrolling interests on a recurring basis	'	'
Fair value adjustment to the borrowings subject to TRS	6,860,000	9,950,000
Redeemable noncontrolling interest	-174,302,000	-239,136,000
Fair value of financial assets and liabilities and redeemable noncontrolling interests on a recurring basis	-278,193,000	-360,828,000
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 3 [Member] | Interest rate caps [Member]	'	'
Financial assets and liabilities and redeemable noncontrolling interests on a recurring basis	'	'
Derivative assets	0	0
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 3 [Member] | Interest rate swap agreements [Member]	'	'
Financial assets and liabilities and redeemable noncontrolling interests on a recurring basis	'	'
Derivative assets	'	0
Derivative liabilities	-105,890,000	-126,506,000
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 3 [Member] | Total Return Swap [Member]	'	'
Financial assets and liabilities and redeemable noncontrolling interests on a recurring basis	'	'
Derivative assets	20,194,000	21,066,000
Derivative liabilities	($25,055,000)	($26,202,000)

Fair_Value_Measurements_Detail1

Fair Value Measurements (Details 1) (USD $)	9 Months Ended
	Oct. 31, 2013	Oct. 31, 2012
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis, Unobservable Input Reconciliation, Calculation [Roll Forward]	'	'
Balance, beginning	($360,828,000)	($378,285,000)
Contribution from redeemable noncontrolling interest	0	-11,348,000
Loss attributable to redeemable noncontrolling interest	17,296,000	6,316,000
Total realized and unrealized gains (losses):	'	'
Included in earnings	-2,815,000	10,323,000
Included in other comprehensive income	20,616,000	8,156,000
Included in additional paid-in capital	47,538,000	-6,609,000
Balance, ending	-278,193,000	-371,447,000
Redeemable Noncontrolling Interest [Member]	'	'
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis, Unobservable Input Reconciliation, Calculation [Roll Forward]	'	'
Balance, beginning	-239,136,000	-229,149,000
Contribution from redeemable noncontrolling interest	'	-11,348,000
Loss attributable to redeemable noncontrolling interest	17,296,000	6,316,000
Total realized and unrealized gains (losses):	'	'
Included in earnings	0	0
Included in other comprehensive income	0	0
Included in additional paid-in capital	47,538,000	-6,609,000
Balance, ending	-174,302,000	-240,790,000
Interest Rate Swaps [Member]	'	'
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis, Unobservable Input Reconciliation, Calculation [Roll Forward]	'	'
Balance, beginning	-126,506,000	-143,303,000
Contribution from redeemable noncontrolling interest	'	0
Loss attributable to redeemable noncontrolling interest	0	0
Total realized and unrealized gains (losses):	'	'
Included in earnings	0	0
Included in other comprehensive income	20,616,000	8,156,000
Included in additional paid-in capital	0	0
Balance, ending	-105,890,000	-135,147,000
Net TRS [Member]	'	'
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis, Unobservable Input Reconciliation, Calculation [Roll Forward]	'	'
Balance, beginning	-5,136,000	-15,013,000
Contribution from redeemable noncontrolling interest	'	0
Loss attributable to redeemable noncontrolling interest	0	0
Total realized and unrealized gains (losses):	'	'
Included in earnings	275,000	9,805,000
Included in other comprehensive income	0	0
Included in additional paid-in capital	0	0
Balance, ending	-4,861,000	-5,208,000
Fair Value Adjustment to the Borrowings Subject to TRS [Member]	'	'
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis, Unobservable Input Reconciliation, Calculation [Roll Forward]	'	'
Balance, beginning	9,950,000	9,180,000
Contribution from redeemable noncontrolling interest	'	0
Loss attributable to redeemable noncontrolling interest	0	0
Total realized and unrealized gains (losses):	'	'
Included in earnings	-3,090,000	518,000
Included in other comprehensive income	0	0
Included in additional paid-in capital	0	0
Balance, ending	6,860,000	9,698,000
TRS Related [Member]	'	'
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis, Unobservable Input Reconciliation, Calculation [Roll Forward]	'	'
Balance, beginning	4,814,000	-5,833,000
Contribution from redeemable noncontrolling interest	'	0
Loss attributable to redeemable noncontrolling interest	0	0
Total realized and unrealized gains (losses):	'	'
Included in earnings	-2,815,000	10,323,000
Included in other comprehensive income	0	0
Included in additional paid-in capital	0	0
Balance, ending	$1,999,000	$4,490,000

Fair_Value_Measurements_Detail2

Fair Value Measurements (Details 2) (Fair value measurement, recurring basis [Member], USD $)

Oct. 31, 2013

Jan. 31, 2013

Oct. 31, 2013

Jan. 31, 2013

Oct. 31, 2013

Oct. 31, 2013

Oct. 31, 2013

Oct. 31, 2013

Oct. 31, 2013

Oct. 31, 2013

Oct. 31, 2013

Oct. 31, 2013

Fair Value, Inputs, Level 3 [Member]

Fair Value, Inputs, Level 3 [Member]

Credit valuation adjustment of interest rate swap [Member]

Total Return Swap [Member]

Total Return Swap [Member]

Total Return Swap [Member]

Fair value adjustment to the borrowings subject to TRS [Member]

Fair value adjustment to the borrowings subject to TRS [Member]

Fair value adjustment to the borrowings subject to TRS [Member]

Redeemable noncontrolling interest [Member]

Fair Value, Inputs, Level 3 [Member]

Fair Value, Inputs, Level 3 [Member]

Discount rate [Member]

Capitalization rate [Member]

Fair Value, Inputs, Level 3 [Member]

Discount rate [Member]

Capitalization rate [Member]

Fair Value, Inputs, Level 3 [Member]

Fair Value, Inputs, Level 3 [Member]

Fair Value, Inputs, Level 3 [Member]

Fair Value, Inputs, Level 3 [Member]

Fair Value, Inputs, Level 3 [Member]

Fair value of financial instruments measured on a recurring basis

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Credit valuation adjustment of interest rate swap

'

'

'

'

$8,187,000

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Fair value measurement of total return swap

'

'

'

'

'

-4,861,000

'

'

'

'

'

'

Fair value adjustment to borrowings subject to TRS

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

6,860,000

'

'

'

Redeemable noncontrolling interest

($174,302,000)

($239,136,000)

($174,302,000)

($239,136,000)

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

($174,302,000)

Fair value valuation technique

'

'

'

'

'PotentialB futureB exposure

'Bond quote

'

'

'Bond quote

'

'

'Discounted cash flows

Fair value unobservable input credit valuation adjustment of interest rate swap

'

'

'

'

'CreditB spread

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Fair value unobservable input of total return swap

'

'

'

'

'

'

'Discount rate

'Capitalization rate

'

'

'

'

Fair value unobservable input adjustment to borrowings subject to TRS

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'Discount rate

'Capitalization rate

'

Fair value unobservable input redeemable noncontrolling interest

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'Discount rate

Percentage of input values credit valuation adjustment of interest rate swap

'

'

'

'

4.25%

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Input values total return swap

'

'

'

'

'

'

'N/A

[1]

'N/A

[1]

'

'

'

'

Input values fair value adjustment to the borrowing subject to TRS

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'N/A

[1]

'N/A

[1]

'

Percentage of input values redeemable noncontrolling interest

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

9.69%

[1]

The Company does not have access to certain significant unobservable inputs used by these third parties to determine these fair values.

Fair_Value_Measurements_Detail3

Fair Value Measurements (Details 3) (USD $)	Oct. 31, 2013	Jan. 31, 2013
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified
Fair Value of nonrecourse mortgage debt and notes payable (including land held for divestiture debt), bank revolving credit facility and senior and subordinated debt	'	'
Carrying Value	$5,415,275	$6,773,629
Fair Value	5,540,938	7,088,223
Fixed Rate Debt [Member]	'	'
Fair Value of nonrecourse mortgage debt and notes payable (including land held for divestiture debt), bank revolving credit facility and senior and subordinated debt	'	'
Carrying Value	3,431,177	4,791,113
Fair Value	3,602,691	5,147,849
Variable Rate Debt [Member]	'	'
Fair Value of nonrecourse mortgage debt and notes payable (including land held for divestiture debt), bank revolving credit facility and senior and subordinated debt	'	'
Carrying Value	1,984,098	1,982,516
Fair Value	$1,938,247	$1,940,374

StockBased_Compensation_Detail

Stock-Based Compensation (Details) (USD $)	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Oct. 31, 2013	Oct. 31, 2012	Oct. 31, 2013	Oct. 31, 2012
Amount of stock-based compensation costs and related deferred income tax benefit recognized in the financial statements	'	'	'	'
Total stock-based compensation costs	$4,131	$3,488	$13,441	$11,317
Less amount capitalized into qualifying real estate projects	-1,590	-1,410	-4,765	-4,031
Amount charged to operating expenses	2,541	2,078	8,676	7,286
Depreciation expense on capitalized stock-based compensation	241	206	721	620
Total stock-based compensation expense	2,782	2,284	9,397	7,906
Deferred income tax benefit	1,009	819	3,440	2,856
Stock option costs [Member]	'	'	'	'
Amount of stock-based compensation costs and related deferred income tax benefit recognized in the financial statements	'	'	'	'
Total stock-based compensation costs	673	590	2,601	2,510
Restricted stock costs [Member]	'	'	'	'
Amount of stock-based compensation costs and related deferred income tax benefit recognized in the financial statements	'	'	'	'
Total stock-based compensation costs	2,722	2,481	8,857	7,833
Performance share costs [Member]	'	'	'	'
Amount of stock-based compensation costs and related deferred income tax benefit recognized in the financial statements	'	'	'	'
Total stock-based compensation costs	$736	$417	$1,983	$974

StockBased_Compensation_Detail1

Stock-Based Compensation (Details Textual) (USD $)	9 Months Ended		12 Months Ended
In Thousands, except Share data, unless otherwise specified	Oct. 31, 2013	Oct. 31, 2012	Jan. 31, 2013
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]	'	'	'
Amount of grant-date fair value expensed immediately for awards granted to retirement-eligible grantees	$973	$726	'
Purchase of treasury stock, shares	179,907	120,459	'
Purchase of treasury stock, aggregate cost basis	3,167	1,815	1,963
Stock option costs [Member]	'	'	'
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]	'	'	'
Stock options granted	241,860	'	'
Grant-date fair value	$10.97	'	'
Stock options expected term	'5 years 6 months	'	'
Stock options expected volatility	74.10%	'	'
Stock options risk-free interest rate	0.80%	'	'
Stock options expected dividend yield	0.00%	'	'
Exercise price of options	$17.60	'	'
Unrecognized compensation cost	4,176	'	'
Weighted-average period of unrecognized compensation cost expected to be recognized	'2 years 4 months 5 days	'	'
Restricted stock costs [Member]	'	'	'
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]	'	'	'
Shares granted	653,447	'	'
Grant-date fair value	$17.60	'	'
Unrecognized compensation cost	20,140	'	'
Weighted-average period of unrecognized compensation cost expected to be recognized	'2 years 7 months	'	'
Performance Shares [Member]	'	'	'
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]	'	'	'
Shares granted	299,460	'	'
Grant-date fair value	$17.78	'	'
Unrecognized compensation cost	$7,733	'	'
Weighted-average period of unrecognized compensation cost expected to be recognized	'2 years 8 months 18 days	'	'

Commercial_Group_Land_Sale_Det

Commercial Group Land Sale (Details Textual) (10 acre land parcel and air rights [Member], USD $)	3 Months Ended	9 Months Ended
	Apr. 30, 2012	Oct. 31, 2012	Jan. 31, 2012	Jan. 31, 2011
				acre
10 acre land parcel and air rights [Member]	'	'	'	'
Commercial Group Land Sale (Textual) [Abstract]	'	'	'	'
Area of land parcel sold (in acres)	'	'	'	10
Sales price of land parcel and air rights	'	'	'	$40,000,000
Cash deposit received	'	'	7,000,000	'
Remaining cash proceeds received	33,000,000	'	'	'
Gain on sale of land parcel and air rights	'	$36,484,000	'	'

Land_Held_for_Divestiture_Deta

Land Held for Divestiture (Details) (USD $)	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Oct. 31, 2013	Oct. 31, 2012	Oct. 31, 2013	Oct. 31, 2012
Schedule of net gain loss on land held for divestiture [Abstract]	'	'	'	'
Sales of land held for divestiture	$0	$25,384,000	$1,768,000	$59,894,000
Cost of sales of land held for divestiture	0	-26,804,000	-323,000	-51,976,000
Gain on extinguishment of debt of land held for divestiture	0	2,227,000	0	2,227,000
Net gain on closed transactions of land held for divestiture	0	807,000	1,445,000	10,145,000
Bad debt expense	0	0	-9,000,000	0
Impairment of land held for divestiture	0	0	0	-15,796,000
Net gain (loss) on land held for divestiture activity	$0	$807,000	($7,555,000)	($5,651,000)

Land_Held_for_Divestiture_Deta1

Land Held for Divestiture (Details 1) (USD $)	9 Months Ended
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Oct. 31, 2012
Indicative bids [Member]	'
Fair value of land held for divestiture [Line Items]	'
Fair value of impairment of land held for divestiture	$15,663
Fair value valuation technique	'Indicative bids
Fair value unobservable input	'Indicative bids
Fair value range of input values	'N/A	[1]
Discounted cash flow [Member]	'
Fair value of land held for divestiture [Line Items]	'
Fair value of impairment of land held for divestiture	$926
Fair value valuation technique	'Discounted cash flows	[2]
Fair value unobservable input	'N/A
Fair value range of input values	'N/A
[1]	These fair value measurements were developed by third party sources, subject to the Companybs corroboration for reasonableness.
[2]	The Company used a discounted cash flow technique to estimate fair value; however, due to the estimated holding period being less than twelve months, the impact of discounting was deemed immaterial.

Land_Held_for_Divestiture_Deta2

Land Held for Divestiture (Details 2) (USD $)	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Oct. 31, 2013	Oct. 31, 2012	Oct. 31, 2013	Oct. 31, 2012
Land Held for Divestiture disclosures [Abstract]	'	'	'	'
Net gain (loss) on sales of land held for divestiture of unconsolidated entities	$186,000	($283,000)	$867,000	($1,764,000)
Impairment of investments in unconsolidated entities	0	0	0	-40,406,000
Net gain (loss) on land held for divestiture activity of unconsolidated entities	$186,000	($283,000)	$867,000	($42,170,000)

Recovered_Sheet1

Land held for divestiture (Details Textuals) (USD $)

3 Months Ended

9 Months Ended

9 Months Ended

3 Months Ended

9 Months Ended

Oct. 31, 2013

Oct. 31, 2012

Oct. 31, 2013

Oct. 31, 2012

Jan. 31, 2013

Oct. 31, 2013

Oct. 31, 2012

Jul. 31, 2012

Jul. 31, 2012

Oct. 31, 2012

Oct. 31, 2012

Jul. 31, 2012

North Carolina land [Member]

Bulk sale [Member]

Prosper, Texas land project [Member]

Central Station [Member]

Central Station [Member]

Mesa del Sol [Member]

Mesa del Sol [Member]

acre

acre

Land held for divestiture [Line Items]

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Carrying value of land held for divestiture

$1,990,000

'

$1,990,000

'

$2,706,000

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Area of land parcel sold (in acres)

'

'

'

'

'

1,000

'

'

'

'

'

'

Estimated fair value of the underlying collateral

'

'

'

'

'

4,100,000

'

'

'

'

'

'

Bad debt expense

0

0

9,000,000

0

'

9,000,000

'

'

'

'

'

'

Bad debt expense, net of noncontrolling interest

'

'

'

'

'

8,300,000

'

'

'

'

'

'

Bad debt expense, after tax

'

'

'

'

'

4,980,000

'

'

'

'

'

'

Number of land projects

'

'

'

'

'

'

6

'

'

'

'

'

Sales price of land

'

'

'

'

'

'

22,245,000

29,800,000

'

'

'

'

Gain (loss) on sale of land held for divestiture

'

'

'

'

'

'

-2,100,000

7,600,000

'

'

'

'

Gain on extinguishment of debt of land held for divestiture

0

2,227,000

0

2,227,000

'

'

2,227,000

'

'

'

'

'

Ownership percentage of land project

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

51.00%

'

'

'

'

Gain on sale of land net of noncontrolling interest

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

3,900,000

'

'

'

'

Impairment of land held for divestiture

0

0

0

15,796,000

'

'

'

'

'

17,000,000

15,000,000

'

Unsolicited offer to purchase ownership interest in remaining land parcels

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

$30,000,000

'

'

'

Area of land held for divestiture (in acres)

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

3,000

Net_Gain_on_Disposition_of_Par2

Net Gain on Disposition of Partial Interests in Rental Properties (Details) (USD $)	3 Months Ended			9 Months Ended		12 Months Ended
	Oct. 31, 2013	Jul. 31, 2013	Oct. 31, 2012	Oct. 31, 2013	Oct. 31, 2012	Jan. 31, 2012
Net gain on disposition of partial interests in rental properties and other investments	'	'	'	'	'	'
Net gain on disposition of partial interests in rental properties	$491,160,000	'	$0	$496,092,000	$0	'
QIC Joint Venture [Member]	'	'	'	'	'	'
Net gain on disposition of partial interests in rental properties and other investments	'	'	'	'	'	'
Net gain on disposition of partial interests in rental properties	381,627,000	'	0	381,627,000	0	'
New York Retail Joint Venture [Member]	'	'	'	'	'	'
Net gain on disposition of partial interests in rental properties and other investments	'	'	'	'	'	'
Net gain on disposition of partial interests in rental properties	$109,533,000	$4,932,000	$0	$114,465,000	$0	$9,561,000

Net_Gain_on_Disposition_of_Par3

Net Gain on Disposition of Partial Interests in Rental Properties (Details 1) (QIC Joint Venture [Member], USD $)	Oct. 31, 2013
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified
QIC Joint Venture [Member]	'
Assets	'
Real estate, net	($920,602)
Cash and equivalents	315,147
Restricted cash and escrowed funds	-4,326
Notes and accounts receivable, net	-23,201
Investments in and advances to unconsolidated entities	22,571
Other assets	-90,098
Total Assets	-700,509
Liabilities	'
Mortgage debt and notes payable, nonrecourse	-979,448
Accounts payable, accrued expenses and other liabilities	-17,446
Total Liabilities	-996,894
Equity	'
Additional paid-in capital	-89,644
Retained earnings	381,627
Noncontrolling interest	4,402
Total Equity	296,385
Total Liabilities and Equity	($700,509)

Net_Gain_on_Disposition_of_Par4

Net Gain on Disposition of Partial Interests in Rental Properties (Details Textual) (USD $)

3 Months Ended

9 Months Ended

3 Months Ended

9 Months Ended

3 Months Ended

9 Months Ended

12 Months Ended

Oct. 31, 2013

Oct. 31, 2012

Oct. 31, 2013

Oct. 31, 2012

Oct. 31, 2013

Oct. 31, 2012

Oct. 31, 2013

Oct. 31, 2012

Sep. 10, 2013

Oct. 31, 2013

Jul. 31, 2013

Oct. 31, 2012

Oct. 31, 2013

Oct. 31, 2012

Jan. 31, 2012

Jan. 31, 2013

Mar. 31, 2011

QIC Joint Venture [Member]

QIC Joint Venture [Member]

QIC Joint Venture [Member]

QIC Joint Venture [Member]

QIC Joint Venture [Member]

New York Retail Joint Venture [Member]

New York Retail Joint Venture [Member]

New York Retail Joint Venture [Member]

New York Retail Joint Venture [Member]

New York Retail Joint Venture [Member]

New York Retail Joint Venture [Member]

New York Retail Joint Venture [Member]

New York Retail Joint Venture [Member]

properties

property

properties

Net Gain on Disposition of Partial Interests in Rental Properties (Textual) [Abstract]

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Percentage of ownership sold

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

49.00%

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

49.00%

Number of properties held by newly formed joint venture

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

7

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

15

Debt assumed by the outside partner

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

$448,900,000

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

$244,952,000

Proceeds received by the Company

'

'

'

'

'

'

412,300,000

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Cash proceeds received by the Company

'

'

'

'

'

'

188,200,000

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Net gain on disposition of partial interests in rental properties

491,160,000

0

496,092,000

0

381,627,000

0

381,627,000

0

'

109,533,000

4,932,000

0

114,465,000

0

9,561,000

'

'

Number of regional retail malls in which Company acquired noncontrolling interests

'

'

'

'

2

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Acquisitions of noncontrolling interests

'

'

-98,687,000

-21,150,000

92,400,000

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Proceeds in the form of loan from the joint venture

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

178,286,000

'

'

Outside partner's minimum initial investment requirement

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

20.00%

Deferred gain recorded in exchange of ownership interests

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

$114,465,000

'

Income_Taxes_Details_Textual

Income Taxes (Details Textual) (USD $)	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended		12 Months Ended
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Oct. 31, 2013	Oct. 31, 2012	Oct. 31, 2013	Oct. 31, 2012	Jan. 31, 2013
Income Taxes (Textual) [Abstract]	'	'	'	'	'
Income tax expense (benefit)	$100,644	($20,025)	$68,522	($19,888)	'
Net operating loss carryforward	'	'	'	'	212,271
Net operating loss carryforward expiration dates	'	'	'	'	'years ending January 31, 2026 through January 31, 2033
Alternative minimum tax credit carryforward	'	'	'	'	27,452
Net deferred tax asset unrecognized	'	'	'	'	17,299
Charitable contribution deduction carryforward [Member]	'	'	'	'	'
Tax Credit Carryforward [Line Items]	'	'	'	'	'
Tax carryforward	'	'	'	'	27,326
Carryforward expiration dates	'	'	'	'	'years ending January 31, 2014 through January 31, 2018
General business tax credit carryovers [Member]	'	'	'	'	'
Tax Credit Carryforward [Line Items]	'	'	'	'	'
Tax carryforward	'	'	'	'	$21,159
Carryforward expiration dates	'	'	'	'	'years ending January 31, 2019 through January 31, 2033

Impairment_of_Real_Estate_Impa2

Impairment of Real Estate, Impairment of Unconsolidated Entities and Write-Off of Abandoned Development Projects (Details) (USD $)	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Oct. 31, 2013	Oct. 31, 2012	Oct. 31, 2013	Oct. 31, 2012
Schedule of Impairment of Real Estate Included in Continuing Operations [Line Items]	'	'	'	'
Impairment of real estate	$200,155,000	$30,200,000	$208,210,000	$30,660,000
LiveWork Las Vegas [Member]	'	'	'	'
Schedule of Impairment of Real Estate Included in Continuing Operations [Line Items]	'	'	'	'
Impairment of real estate	112,838,000	0	112,838,000	0
Promenade Bolingbrook (Regional Mall) [Member]	'	'	'	'
Schedule of Impairment of Real Estate Included in Continuing Operations [Line Items]	'	'	'	'
Impairment of real estate	54,194,000	0	54,194,000	0
Orchard Town Center (Regional Mall) [Member]	'	'	'	'
Schedule of Impairment of Real Estate Included in Continuing Operations [Line Items]	'	'	'	'
Impairment of real estate	15,649,000	0	15,649,000	0
Building J at Illinois Science and Technology Park (Office Building) [Member]	'	'	'	'
Schedule of Impairment of Real Estate Included in Continuing Operations [Line Items]	'	'	'	'
Impairment of real estate	17,474,000	0	17,474,000	0
Halle Building (Office Building) [Member]	'	'	'	'
Schedule of Impairment of Real Estate Included in Continuing Operations [Line Items]	'	'	'	'
Impairment of real estate	0	30,200,000	0	30,200,000
Investment in triple net lease retail property [Member]	'	'	'	'
Schedule of Impairment of Real Estate Included in Continuing Operations [Line Items]	'	'	'	'
Impairment of real estate	0	0	6,870,000	0
Other [Member]	'	'	'	'
Schedule of Impairment of Real Estate Included in Continuing Operations [Line Items]	'	'	'	'
Impairment of real estate	$0	$0	$1,185,000	$460,000

Impairment_of_Real_Estate_Impa3

Impairment of Real Estate, Impairment of Unconsolidated Entities and Write-Off of Abandoned Development Projects (Details 1) (USD $)	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Oct. 31, 2013	Oct. 31, 2012	Oct. 31, 2013	Oct. 31, 2012
Schedule of Impairment of Real Estate Included in Discontinued Operations [Line Items]	'	'	'	'
Impairment of real estate on discontinued operations	$0	$164,000	$0	$4,254,000
Investment in triple net lease retail property [Member]	'	'	'	'
Schedule of Impairment of Real Estate Included in Discontinued Operations [Line Items]	'	'	'	'
Impairment of real estate on discontinued operations	0	0	0	2,263,000
White Oak Village (Speciality Retail Center) [Member]	'	'	'	'
Schedule of Impairment of Real Estate Included in Discontinued Operations [Line Items]	'	'	'	'
Impairment of real estate on discontinued operations	0	0	0	1,566,000
Other [Member]	'	'	'	'
Schedule of Impairment of Real Estate Included in Discontinued Operations [Line Items]	'	'	'	'
Impairment of real estate on discontinued operations	$0	$164,000	$0	$425,000

Impairment_of_Real_Estate_Impa4

Impairment of Real Estate, Impairment of Unconsolidated Entities and Write-Off of Abandoned Development Projects (Details 2) (Fair Value, Measurements, Nonrecurring [Member], USD $)	9 Months Ended
	Oct. 31, 2013		Oct. 31, 2012
Indicative bids [Member]	'		'
Non-recurring Impairment of Real Estate Including Discontiued Operations	'		'
Fair value of impairment of real estate	$212,204,000		$83,193,000
Fair value valuation technique	'IndicativeB Bids		'IndicativeB Bids
Fair value unobservable input	'IndicativeB Bids		'IndicativeB Bids
Fair value range of input values	'N/A	[1]	'N/A	[1]
Comparable Property Market Analysis [Member]	'		'
Non-recurring Impairment of Real Estate Including Discontiued Operations	'		'
Fair value of impairment of real estate	29,500,000		'
Fair value valuation technique	'Comparable Property Market Analysis		'
Fair value unobservable input	'Price Per Square Foot		'
Discounted cash flow [Member]	'		'
Non-recurring Impairment of Real Estate Including Discontiued Operations	'		'
Fair value of impairment of real estate	'		10,500,000
Fair value valuation technique	'		'Discounted Cash Flow
Fair value unobservable input	'		'Discount Rate
Percentage of input values impairment of real estate	'		10.00%
Minimum [Member] | Comparable Property Market Analysis [Member]	'		'
Non-recurring Impairment of Real Estate Including Discontiued Operations	'		'
Range of input values impairment of real estate	22		'
Maximum [Member] | Comparable Property Market Analysis [Member]	'		'
Non-recurring Impairment of Real Estate Including Discontiued Operations	'		'
Range of input values impairment of real estate	$55		'
[1]	These fair value measurements were derived from bona fide purchase offers from third party prospective buyers, subject to the Companybs corroboration for reasonableness.

Impairment_of_Real_Estate_Impa5

Impairment of Real Estate, Impairment of Unconsolidated Entities and Write-Off of Abandoned Development Projects(Detail Textuals) (USD $)	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Oct. 31, 2013	Oct. 31, 2012	Oct. 31, 2013	Oct. 31, 2012
Impairment of real estate impairment of unconsolidated entities and write off of abandoned development projects [Line Items]	'	'	'	'
Impairment of real estate	$200,155,000	$30,200,000	$208,210,000	$30,660,000
Impairment of unconsolidated entities	0	0	0	390,000
Write-off of abandoned development projects	26,540,000	370,000	29,317,000	14,029,000
LiveWork Las Vegas [Member]	'	'	'	'
Impairment of real estate impairment of unconsolidated entities and write off of abandoned development projects [Line Items]	'	'	'	'
Area of land parcel/project (in acres)	13.5	'	13.5	'
Impairment of real estate	112,838,000	0	112,838,000	0
Promenade Bolingbrook [Member]	'	'	'	'
Impairment of real estate impairment of unconsolidated entities and write off of abandoned development projects [Line Items]	'	'	'	'
Impairment of real estate	54,194,000	0	54,194,000	0
Orchard Town Center [Member]	'	'	'	'
Impairment of real estate impairment of unconsolidated entities and write off of abandoned development projects [Line Items]	'	'	'	'
Impairment of real estate	15,649,000	0	15,649,000	0
Building J at Illinois Science and Technology Park [Member]	'	'	'	'
Impairment of real estate impairment of unconsolidated entities and write off of abandoned development projects [Line Items]	'	'	'	'
Impairment of real estate	17,474,000	0	17,474,000	0
Brooklyn Atlantic Yards [Member]	'	'	'	'
Impairment of real estate impairment of unconsolidated entities and write off of abandoned development projects [Line Items]	'	'	'	'
Area of land parcel/project (in acres)	22	'	22	'
Halle Building [Member]	'	'	'	'
Impairment of real estate impairment of unconsolidated entities and write off of abandoned development projects [Line Items]	'	'	'	'
Impairment of real estate	0	30,200,000	0	30,200,000
Carrying value of real estate, fair value	'	10,500,000	'	10,500,000
Minimum [Member] | Brooklyn Atlantic Yards [Member]	'	'	'	'
Impairment of real estate impairment of unconsolidated entities and write off of abandoned development projects [Line Items]	'	'	'	'
Estimated future impairment charge	'	'	250,000,000	'
Maximum [Member] | Brooklyn Atlantic Yards [Member]	'	'	'	'
Impairment of real estate impairment of unconsolidated entities and write off of abandoned development projects [Line Items]	'	'	'	'
Estimated future impairment charge	'	'	350,000,000	'
Fair Value, Measurements, Nonrecurring [Member] | Comparable Property Market Analysis [Member]	'	'	'	'
Impairment of real estate impairment of unconsolidated entities and write off of abandoned development projects [Line Items]	'	'	'	'
Weighted average of input values impairment of real estate	'	'	$45	'

Gain_Loss_on_Extinguishment_of1

Gain (Loss) on Extinguishment of Debt (Details Textuals) (USD $)	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Oct. 31, 2013	Oct. 31, 2012	Oct. 31, 2013	Oct. 31, 2012
Extinguishment of Debt [Line Items]	'	'	'	'
Gain (loss) on extinguishment of debt	($13,096)	$8,007	$6,335	$7,288
Ten MetroTech Center [Member]	'	'	'	'
Extinguishment of Debt [Line Items]	'	'	'	'
Gain (loss) on extinguishment of debt	'	'	24,669	'
2034 and 2017 Senior Notes [Member]	'	'	'	'
Extinguishment of Debt [Line Items]	'	'	'	'
Gain (loss) on extinguishment of debt	'	'	-13,077	'
2014 Senior Notes [Member]	'	'	'	'
Extinguishment of Debt [Line Items]	'	'	'	'
Gain (loss) on extinguishment of debt	'	'	-4,762	'
Terminal Tower [Member]	'	'	'	'
Extinguishment of Debt [Line Items]	'	'	'	'
Gain (loss) on extinguishment of debt	'	'	'	$9,425

Discontinued_Operations_and_Ga2

Discontinued Operations and Gain on Disposition of Rental Properties (Details 1)

3 Months Ended

9 Months Ended

3 Months Ended

9 Months Ended

3 Months Ended

9 Months Ended

3 Months Ended

9 Months Ended

3 Months Ended

9 Months Ended

3 Months Ended

9 Months Ended

3 Months Ended

9 Months Ended

3 Months Ended

9 Months Ended

3 Months Ended

9 Months Ended

3 Months Ended

9 Months Ended

3 Months Ended

Oct. 31, 2013

Oct. 31, 2012

Oct. 31, 2013

Oct. 31, 2012

Oct. 31, 2013

Oct. 31, 2012

Oct. 31, 2013

Oct. 31, 2012

Oct. 31, 2013

Oct. 31, 2012

Oct. 31, 2013

Oct. 31, 2012

Oct. 31, 2013

Oct. 31, 2012

Oct. 31, 2013

Oct. 31, 2012

Oct. 31, 2013

Oct. 31, 2012

Oct. 31, 2013

Oct. 31, 2012

Oct. 31, 2013

Oct. 31, 2012

Oct. 31, 2013

Oct. 31, 2012

Oct. 31, 2013

Oct. 31, 2012

Oct. 31, 2013

Oct. 31, 2012

Oct. 31, 2013

Oct. 31, 2012

Oct. 31, 2013

Oct. 31, 2012

Oct. 31, 2013

Oct. 31, 2012

Oct. 31, 2013

Oct. 31, 2012

Oct. 31, 2013

Oct. 31, 2012

Oct. 31, 2013

Oct. 31, 2012

Apr. 30, 2013

Oct. 31, 2012

Jul. 31, 2012

Millender Center [Member]

Millender Center [Member]

Millender Center [Member]

Millender Center [Member]

Emerald Palms [Member]

Emerald Palms [Member]

Emerald Palms [Member]

Emerald Palms [Member]

Southfield [Member]

Southfield [Member]

Southfield [Member]

Southfield [Member]

Colorado Studios [Member]

Colorado Studios [Member]

Colorado Studios [Member]

Colorado Studios [Member]

Higbee Building [Member]

Higbee Building [Member]

Higbee Building [Member]

Higbee Building [Member]

Sheraton Station Square [Member]

Sheraton Station Square [Member]

Sheraton Station Square [Member]

Sheraton Station Square [Member]

Fairmont Plaza [Member]

Fairmont Plaza [Member]

Fairmont Plaza [Member]

Fairmont Plaza [Member]

White Oak Village [Member]

White Oak Village [Member]

White Oak Village [Member]

White Oak Village [Member]

Quebec Square [Member]

Quebec Square [Member]

Quebec Square [Member]

Quebec Square [Member]

Six triple net lease properties [Member]

Six triple net lease properties [Member]

Six triple net lease properties [Member]

Six triple net lease properties [Member]

One triple net lease property [Member]

Three triple net lease properties [Member]

Two triple net lease properties [Member]

apartmentunit

apartmentunit

apartmentunit

sqft

sqft

room

sqft

sqft

sqft

sqft

property

property

property

Summary of rental properties included in discontinued operations

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Location

'

'

'Detroit, Michigan

'

'

'

'Miami, Florida

'

'

'

'Whitemarsh, Maryland

'

'

'

'Denver, Colorado

'

'

'

'Cleveland, Ohio

'

'

'

'Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

'

'

'

'San Jose, California

'

'

'

'Richmond, Virginia

'

'

'

'Denver,B Colorado

'

'

'

'Various

'

'

'

'

Square feet

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

75,000

'

'

'

815,000

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

335,000

'

'

'

843,000

'

'

'

739,000

'

'

'

287,000

'

'

'

'

Number of units/rooms

'

'

339

'

'

'

505

'

'

'

212

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

399

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Period disposed

'

'

'Q1-2013

'

'

'

'Q4-2012

'

'

'

'Q3-2012

'

'

'

'Q3-2013

'

'

'

'Q2-2013

'

'

'

'Q2-2013

'

'

'

'Q4-2012

'

'

'

'Q3-2012

'

'

'

'Q1-2012

'

'

'

'Various

[1]

'

'

'

'

Period status

'0

'Yes

'Yes

'Yes

'0

'Yes

'0

'Yes

'0

'Yes

'0

'Yes

'Yes

'Yes

'Yes

'Yes

'0

'Yes

'Yes

'Yes

'0

'Yes

'Yes

'Yes

'0

'Yes

'0

'Yes

'0

'Yes

'0

'Yes

'0

'0

'0

'Yes

'0

'Yes

'Yes

'Yes

'

'

'

Number of triple net lease properties disposed of

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

1

3

2

[1]

Includes one triple net lease property disposed of during Q1-2013, three triple net lease properties disposed of during Q3-2012 and two triple net lease properties disposed of during Q2-2012.

Discontinued_Operations_and_Ga3

Discontinued Operations and Gain on Disposition of Rental Properties (Details 2) (USD $)	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Oct. 31, 2013	Oct. 31, 2012	Oct. 31, 2013	Oct. 31, 2012
Summary of operating results of discontinued operations	'	'	'	'
Revenues from real estate operations	$135,000	$20,227,000	$20,782,000	$60,604,000
Expenses	'	'	'	'
Operating expenses	429,000	10,972,000	12,639,000	31,171,000
Depreciation and amortization	0	2,638,000	2,014,000	9,658,000
Impairment of real estate	0	164,000	0	4,254,000
Total expenses	429,000	13,774,000	14,653,000	45,083,000
Interest expense	-16,000	-2,715,000	-2,785,000	-10,076,000
Amortization of mortgage procurement costs	0	-54,000	-50,000	-546,000
Loss on extinguishment of debt	0	-192,000	-40,000	-192,000
Interest income	0	-7,000	225,000	272,000
Gain on disposition of rental properties	1,239,000	19,299,000	44,342,000	28,178,000
Earnings before income taxes	929,000	22,784,000	47,821,000	33,157,000
Income tax expense	261,000	10,142,000	19,306,000	13,718,000
Earnings from discontinued operations	668,000	12,642,000	28,515,000	19,439,000
Noncontrolling interest	'	'	'	'
Gain on disposition of rental properties	125,000	0	5,960,000	965,000
Operating earnings (loss) from rental properties	3,000	-207,000	16,000	393,000
Earnings (loss) from discontinued operations attributable to noncontrolling interests	128,000	-207,000	5,976,000	1,358,000
Earnings from discontinued operations attributable to Forest City Enterprises, Inc.	$540,000	$12,849,000	$22,539,000	$18,081,000

Discontinued_Operations_and_Ga4

Discontinued Operations and Gain on Disposition of Rental Properties (Details 3) (USD $)	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Oct. 31, 2013	Oct. 31, 2012	Oct. 31, 2013	Oct. 31, 2012
Gain (Loss) on Disposition of Rental Properties [Line Items]	'	'	'	'
Pre-tax gain on disposition of rental properties	$1,239,000	$19,299,000	$44,342,000	$28,178,000
Millender Center (Apartment Community) [Member]	'	'	'	'
Gain (Loss) on Disposition of Rental Properties [Line Items]	'	'	'	'
Pre-tax gain on disposition of rental properties	0	0	21,660,000	0
Southfield (Apartment Community) [Member]	'	'	'	'
Gain (Loss) on Disposition of Rental Properties [Line Items]	'	'	'	'
Pre-tax gain on disposition of rental properties	0	13,445,000	0	13,445,000
Sheraton Station Square (Hotel) [Member]	'	'	'	'
Gain (Loss) on Disposition of Rental Properties [Line Items]	'	'	'	'
Pre-tax gain on disposition of rental properties	0	0	18,096,000	0
Higbee Building (Office Building) [Member]	'	'	'	'
Gain (Loss) on Disposition of Rental Properties [Line Items]	'	'	'	'
Pre-tax gain on disposition of rental properties	0	0	2,922,000	0
Colorado Studios (Office Building) [Member]	'	'	'	'
Gain (Loss) on Disposition of Rental Properties [Line Items]	'	'	'	'
Pre-tax gain on disposition of rental properties	1,239,000	0	1,239,000	0
Triple net lease properties [Member]	'	'	'	'
Gain (Loss) on Disposition of Rental Properties [Line Items]	'	'	'	'
Pre-tax gain on disposition of rental properties	0	6,568,000	222,000	6,568,000
Quebec Square (Specialty Retail Center) [Member]	'	'	'	'
Gain (Loss) on Disposition of Rental Properties [Line Items]	'	'	'	'
Pre-tax gain on disposition of rental properties	0	0	0	8,879,000
Other [Member]	'	'	'	'
Gain (Loss) on Disposition of Rental Properties [Line Items]	'	'	'	'
Pre-tax gain on disposition of rental properties	$0	($714,000)	$203,000	($714,000)

Discontinued_Operations_and_Ga5

Discontinued Operations and Gain on Disposition of Rental Properties (Details 4) (USD $)	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Oct. 31, 2013	Oct. 31, 2012	Oct. 31, 2013	Oct. 31, 2012
Gain Loss on Equity Method Investments [Line Items]	'	'	'	'
Gain (loss) on disposition of unconsolidated entities	$34,281,000	$0	$32,771,000	$16,107,000
Westin Convention Center (Hotel) [Member]	'	'	'	'
Gain Loss on Equity Method Investments [Line Items]	'	'	'	'
Gain (loss) on disposition of unconsolidated entities	32,741,000	0	32,741,000	0
LIberty Center (Office Buildings) [Member]	'	'	'	'
Gain Loss on Equity Method Investments [Line Items]	'	'	'	'
Gain (loss) on disposition of unconsolidated entities	1,540,000	0	1,540,000	0
Chagrin Plaza I & II (Office Buildings) [Member]	'	'	'	'
Gain Loss on Equity Method Investments [Line Items]	'	'	'	'
Gain (loss) on disposition of unconsolidated entities	0	0	0	1,628,000
Plaza at Robinson Town Center (Specialty Retail Center) [Member]	'	'	'	'
Gain Loss on Equity Method Investments [Line Items]	'	'	'	'
Gain (loss) on disposition of unconsolidated entities	0	0	-1,510,000	0
Village at Gulfstream Park (Specialty Retail Center) [Member]	'	'	'	'
Gain Loss on Equity Method Investments [Line Items]	'	'	'	'
Gain (loss) on disposition of unconsolidated entities	$0	$0	$0	$14,479,000

Earnings_Per_Share_Details

Earnings Per Share (Details) (USD $)	3 Months Ended				9 Months Ended
	Oct. 31, 2013		Oct. 31, 2012		Oct. 31, 2013		Oct. 31, 2012
Numerators	'		'		'		'
Earnings (loss) from continuing operations attributable to Forest City Enterprises, Inc.	$152,789,000		($13,927,000)		$95,141,000		($40,124,000)
Preferred dividends and inducements of preferred stock conversion	0		-17,731,000		-185,000		-25,431,000
Undistributed earnings allocated to participating securities	-4,363,000		0		-2,783,000		0
Earnings (loss) from continuing operations attributable to Forest City Enterprises, Inc. common shareholders b Basic	148,426,000		-31,658,000		92,173,000		-65,555,000
Undistributed earnings allocated to participating securities	4,363,000		0		2,783,000		0
Interest on convertible debt	4,323,000		0		11,137,000		0
Earnings (loss) from continuing operations attributable to Forest City Enterprises, Inc. common shareholders b Diluted	157,112,000		-31,658,000		106,093,000		-65,555,000
Net earnings (loss) attributable to Forest City Enterprises, Inc.	153,329,000		-1,078,000		117,680,000		-22,043,000
Undistributed earnings allocated to participating securities	-4,378,000		0		-3,444,000		0
Net earnings (loss) attributable to Forest City Enterprises, Inc. common shareholders b Basic	148,951,000		-18,809,000		114,051,000		-47,474,000
Undistributed earnings allocated to participating securities	4,378,000		0		3,444,000		0
Net earnings (loss) attributable to Forest City Enterprises, Inc. common shareholders b Diluted	$157,652,000		($18,809,000)		$128,632,000		($47,474,000)
Denominators	'		'		'		'
Weighted average shares outstanding b Basic	197,721,350		170,777,898		192,512,992		169,817,482
Effect of stock options, restricted stock and performance shares	1,936,522		0		1,460,461		0
Effect of convertible debt	32,138,215		0		29,659,197		0
Effect of convertible Class A Common Units	3,646,755		0		3,646,755		0
Weighted average shares outstanding b Diluted	235,442,842	[1]	170,777,898	[1]	227,279,405	[1]	169,817,482	[1]
Earnings per share	'		'		'		'
Earnings (loss) from continuing operations attributable to Forest City Enterprises, Inc. common shareholders - Basic	$0.75		($0.19)		$0.48		($0.39)
Earnings (loss) from continuing operations attributable to Forest City Enterprises, Inc. common shareholders - Diluted	$0.67		($0.19)		$0.47		($0.39)
Net earnings (loss) attributable to Forest City Enterprises, Inc. common shareholders - Basic	$0.75		($0.11)		$0.59		($0.28)
Net earnings (loss) attributable to Forest City Enterprises, Inc. common shareholders - Diluted	$0.67		($0.11)		$0.57		($0.28)
[1]	Incremental shares from dilutive options, restricted stock, performance shares and convertible securities aggregating 51,666,897 and 52,245,656 for the three and nine months ended OctoberB 31,B 2012 were not included in the computation of dilutedB EPS because their effect is anti-dilutive due to the loss from continuing operations. Weighted-average shares issuable upon the conversion of preferred stock of 108,334 for the nine months ended OctoberB 31,B 2013 were not included in the computation of diluted EPS because their effect is anti-dilutive under the if-converted method. Weighted-average options, restricted stock and performance shares of 3,181,351 and 3,695,539 for the three and nine months ended OctoberB 31,B 2013, respectively, and 3,751,604 and 4,237,027 for the three and nine months ended OctoberB 31,B 2012, respectively, were not included in the computation of dilutedB EPS because their effect is anti-dilutive under the treasury stock method.

Earnings_Per_Share_Details_Tex

Earnings Per Share (Details Textual)	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Oct. 31, 2013	Oct. 31, 2012	Oct. 31, 2013	Oct. 31, 2012
Dilutive options, restricted stock, performance shares and convertible securities [Member]	'	'	'	'
Earnings Per Share (Textual) [Abstract]	'	'	'	'
Anti-dilutive securities excluded from computation of earnings per share	'	51,666,897	'	52,245,656
Preferred Stock [Member]	'	'	'	'
Earnings Per Share (Textual) [Abstract]	'	'	'	'
Anti-dilutive securities excluded from computation of earnings per share	'	'	108,334	'
Weighted-average options, restricted stock and performance shares [Member]	'	'	'	'
Earnings Per Share (Textual) [Abstract]	'	'	'	'
Anti-dilutive securities excluded from computation of earnings per share	3,181,351	3,751,604	3,695,539	4,237,027

Segment_Information_Details

Segment Information (Details) (USD $)	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Oct. 31, 2013	Oct. 31, 2012	Oct. 31, 2013	Oct. 31, 2012	Jan. 31, 2013
			unit
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]	'	'	'	'	'
Number of Reportable Segments	'	'	6	'	'
Financial data of six reportable segments	'	'	'	'	'
Identifiable assets	$9,329,905,000	'	$9,329,905,000	'	$10,612,432,000
Revenues from real estate operations	266,227,000	272,849,000	853,936,000	791,669,000	'
Operating expenses	210,255,000	175,275,000	603,715,000	495,692,000	'
Depreciation and amortization	85,100,000	55,479,000	245,305,000	155,714,000	'
Interest expense	72,126,000	66,744,000	250,100,000	180,988,000	'
Interest and other income	13,881,000	10,426,000	37,063,000	34,504,000	'
Capital expenditures	112,367,000	244,053,000	354,458,000	686,151,000	'
Commercial Group [Member]	'	'	'	'	'
Financial data of six reportable segments	'	'	'	'	'
Identifiable assets	5,461,368,000	'	5,461,368,000	'	7,127,228,000
Revenues from real estate operations	152,263,000	169,234,000	507,626,000	497,735,000	'
Operating expenses	119,321,000	82,862,000	313,519,000	255,079,000	'
Depreciation and amortization	56,396,000	40,224,000	169,775,000	116,179,000	'
Interest expense	45,856,000	44,985,000	152,611,000	127,662,000	'
Interest and other income	5,031,000	2,366,000	9,235,000	12,188,000	'
Capital expenditures	38,932,000	80,430,000	146,900,000	284,061,000	'
Commercial Group Land Sales [Member]	'	'	'	'	'
Financial data of six reportable segments	'	'	'	'	'
Revenues from real estate operations	395,000	5,950,000	26,786,000	45,999,000	'
Operating expenses	402,000	1,720,000	15,949,000	5,286,000	'
Residential Group [Member]	'	'	'	'	'
Financial data of six reportable segments	'	'	'	'	'
Identifiable assets	2,480,823,000	'	2,480,823,000	'	2,060,892,000
Revenues from real estate operations	73,814,000	68,871,000	201,156,000	194,175,000	'
Operating expenses	53,089,000	48,472,000	149,829,000	133,047,000	'
Depreciation and amortization	15,511,000	12,133,000	43,345,000	35,581,000	'
Interest expense	2,647,000	5,408,000	25,306,000	13,646,000	'
Interest and other income	5,054,000	5,651,000	17,600,000	14,960,000	'
Capital expenditures	64,253,000	52,459,000	165,475,000	106,044,000	'
Arena [Member]	'	'	'	'	'
Financial data of six reportable segments	'	'	'	'	'
Identifiable assets	994,857,000	'	994,857,000	'	980,321,000
Revenues from real estate operations	28,403,000	17,040,000	78,687,000	17,366,000	'
Operating expenses	17,646,000	15,520,000	57,130,000	26,277,000	'
Depreciation and amortization	12,394,000	2,491,000	29,670,000	2,491,000	'
Interest expense	9,920,000	-352,000	28,282,000	-9,086,000	'
Interest and other income	0	0	0	0	'
Capital expenditures	9,182,000	110,919,000	41,035,000	295,185,000	'
Land Development Group [Member]	'	'	'	'	'
Financial data of six reportable segments	'	'	'	'	'
Identifiable assets	281,230,000	'	281,230,000	'	246,873,000
Revenues from real estate operations	11,352,000	11,754,000	39,681,000	36,394,000	'
Operating expenses	7,162,000	12,548,000	28,547,000	35,496,000	'
Depreciation and amortization	98,000	202,000	298,000	448,000	'
Interest expense	85,000	-145,000	-195,000	4,081,000	'
Interest and other income	3,726,000	2,354,000	9,999,000	7,224,000	'
Capital expenditures	0	0	819,000	181,000	'
The Nets [Member]	'	'	'	'	'
Financial data of six reportable segments	'	'	'	'	'
Identifiable assets	0	'	0	'	1,111,000
Revenues from real estate operations	0	0	0	0	'
Operating expenses	0	0	0	0	'
Depreciation and amortization	0	0	0	0	'
Interest expense	0	0	0	0	'
Interest and other income	0	0	0	0	'
Capital expenditures	0	0	0	0	'
Corporate Activities [Member]	'	'	'	'	'
Financial data of six reportable segments	'	'	'	'	'
Identifiable assets	111,627,000	'	111,627,000	'	196,007,000
Revenues from real estate operations	0	0	0	0	'
Operating expenses	12,635,000	14,153,000	38,741,000	40,507,000	'
Depreciation and amortization	701,000	429,000	2,217,000	1,015,000	'
Interest expense	13,618,000	16,848,000	44,096,000	44,685,000	'
Interest and other income	70,000	55,000	229,000	132,000	'
Capital expenditures	$0	$245,000	$229,000	$680,000	'

Segment_Information_Details_1

Segment Information (Details 1) (USD $)	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended		12 Months Ended
	Oct. 31, 2013	Oct. 31, 2012	Oct. 31, 2013	Oct. 31, 2012	Jan. 31, 2013
Segment Reporting, Revenue Reconciling Item [Line Items]	'	'	'	'	'
Net earnings (loss) attributable to Forest City Enterprises, Inc. common shareholders	$153,329,000	($18,809,000)	$117,495,000	($47,474,000)	'
Preferred dividends and inducements of preferred stock conversion	0	17,731,000	185,000	25,431,000	'
Preferred dividends	0	'	185,000	'	13,060,000
Net earnings (loss) attributable to Forest City Enterprises, Inc.	153,329,000	-1,078,000	117,680,000	-22,043,000	'
Depreciation and amortization - Real Estate Groups	85,100,000	55,479,000	245,305,000	155,714,000	'
Net gain on disposition of partial interests in rental properties	-491,160,000	0	-496,092,000	0	'
Gain on disposition of unconsolidated entities	-34,281,000	'	-32,771,000	-16,107,000	'
Impairment of consolidated depreciable real estate	87,317,000	30,200,000	95,372,000	30,660,000	'
Impairment of unconsolidated depreciable real estate	0	0	0	390,000	'
Discontinued operations:	'	'	'	'	'
Gain on disposition of rental properties	-1,114,000	-19,299,000	-38,382,000	-27,213,000	'
Impairment of consolidated depreciable real estate	'	164,000	'	4,254,000	'
Income tax benefit (expense) on non-FFO:	'	'	'	'	'
Gain on disposition of rental properties	204,162,000	7,893,000	220,993,000	17,174,000	'
Impairment of depreciable real estate	-33,864,000	-11,776,000	-36,988,000	-13,692,000	'
FFO	-19,002,000	79,630,000	112,824,000	189,859,000	'
Real Estate Groups [Member]	'	'	'	'	'
Segment Reporting, Revenue Reconciling Item [Line Items]	'	'	'	'	'
Depreciation and amortization - Real Estate Groups	96,609,000	70,908,000	281,012,000	206,833,000	'
Discontinued operations:	'	'	'	'	'
Depreciation and amortization - Real Estate Groups	'	2,618,000	2,000,000	9,603,000	'
Commercial Group [Member]	'	'	'	'	'
Segment Reporting, Revenue Reconciling Item [Line Items]	'	'	'	'	'
Net earnings (loss) attributable to Forest City Enterprises, Inc. common shareholders	281,664,000	2,405,000	287,956,000	79,366,000	'
Preferred dividends and inducements of preferred stock conversion	'	0	'	0	'
Preferred dividends	0	'	0	'	'
Net earnings (loss) attributable to Forest City Enterprises, Inc.	281,664,000	2,405,000	287,956,000	79,366,000	'
Depreciation and amortization - Real Estate Groups	56,396,000	40,224,000	169,775,000	116,179,000	'
Net gain on disposition of partial interests in rental properties	-491,160,000	'	-496,092,000	'	'
Gain on disposition of unconsolidated entities	-34,281,000	'	-32,771,000	-16,107,000	'
Impairment of consolidated depreciable real estate	87,317,000	30,200,000	94,187,000	30,660,000	'
Impairment of unconsolidated depreciable real estate	'	'	'	0	'
Discontinued operations:	'	'	'	'	'
Gain on disposition of rental properties	-1,114,000	-5,854,000	-22,354,000	-13,768,000	'
Impairment of consolidated depreciable real estate	'	164,000	'	4,254,000	'
Income tax benefit (expense) on non-FFO:	'	'	'	'	'
Gain on disposition of rental properties	0	0	0	0	'
Impairment of depreciable real estate	0	0	0	0	'
FFO	-89,909,000	77,336,000	31,502,000	235,268,000	'
Commercial Group [Member] | Real Estate Groups [Member]	'	'	'	'	'
Segment Reporting, Revenue Reconciling Item [Line Items]	'	'	'	'	'
Depreciation and amortization - Real Estate Groups	67,665,000	48,490,000	198,741,000	143,851,000	'
Discontinued operations:	'	'	'	'	'
Depreciation and amortization - Real Estate Groups	'	1,931,000	1,835,000	7,012,000	'
Residential Group [Member]	'	'	'	'	'
Segment Reporting, Revenue Reconciling Item [Line Items]	'	'	'	'	'
Net earnings (loss) attributable to Forest City Enterprises, Inc. common shareholders	12,512,000	24,925,000	31,320,000	46,171,000	'
Preferred dividends and inducements of preferred stock conversion	'	0	'	0	'
Preferred dividends	0	'	0	'	'
Net earnings (loss) attributable to Forest City Enterprises, Inc.	12,512,000	24,925,000	31,320,000	46,171,000	'
Depreciation and amortization - Real Estate Groups	15,511,000	12,133,000	43,345,000	35,581,000	'
Net gain on disposition of partial interests in rental properties	0	'	0	'	'
Gain on disposition of unconsolidated entities	0	'	0	0	'
Impairment of consolidated depreciable real estate	0	0	1,185,000	0	'
Impairment of unconsolidated depreciable real estate	'	'	'	0	'
Discontinued operations:	'	'	'	'	'
Gain on disposition of rental properties	0	-13,445,000	-16,028,000	-13,445,000	'
Impairment of consolidated depreciable real estate	'	0	'	0	'
Income tax benefit (expense) on non-FFO:	'	'	'	'	'
Gain on disposition of rental properties	0	0	0	0	'
Impairment of depreciable real estate	0	0	0	0	'
FFO	34,266,000	33,042,000	81,594,000	96,547,000	'
Residential Group [Member] | Real Estate Groups [Member]	'	'	'	'	'
Segment Reporting, Revenue Reconciling Item [Line Items]	'	'	'	'	'
Depreciation and amortization - Real Estate Groups	21,754,000	20,875,000	64,952,000	61,230,000	'
Discontinued operations:	'	'	'	'	'
Depreciation and amortization - Real Estate Groups	'	687,000	165,000	2,591,000	'
Arena [Member]	'	'	'	'	'
Segment Reporting, Revenue Reconciling Item [Line Items]	'	'	'	'	'
Net earnings (loss) attributable to Forest City Enterprises, Inc. common shareholders	-6,481,000	881,000	-19,996,000	3,493,000	'
Preferred dividends and inducements of preferred stock conversion	'	0	'	0	'
Preferred dividends	0	'	0	'	'
Net earnings (loss) attributable to Forest City Enterprises, Inc.	-6,481,000	881,000	-19,996,000	3,493,000	'
Depreciation and amortization - Real Estate Groups	12,394,000	2,491,000	29,670,000	2,491,000	'
Net gain on disposition of partial interests in rental properties	0	'	0	'	'
Gain on disposition of unconsolidated entities	0	'	0	0	'
Impairment of consolidated depreciable real estate	0	0	0	0	'
Impairment of unconsolidated depreciable real estate	'	'	'	0	'
Discontinued operations:	'	'	'	'	'
Gain on disposition of rental properties	0	0	0	0	'
Impairment of consolidated depreciable real estate	'	0	'	0	'
Income tax benefit (expense) on non-FFO:	'	'	'	'	'
Gain on disposition of rental properties	0	0	0	0	'
Impairment of depreciable real estate	0	0	0	0	'
FFO	662,000	2,278,000	-2,906,000	4,890,000	'
Arena [Member] | Real Estate Groups [Member]	'	'	'	'	'
Segment Reporting, Revenue Reconciling Item [Line Items]	'	'	'	'	'
Depreciation and amortization - Real Estate Groups	7,143,000	1,397,000	17,090,000	1,397,000	'
Discontinued operations:	'	'	'	'	'
Depreciation and amortization - Real Estate Groups	'	0	0	0	'
Land Development Group [Member]	'	'	'	'	'
Segment Reporting, Revenue Reconciling Item [Line Items]	'	'	'	'	'
Net earnings (loss) attributable to Forest City Enterprises, Inc. common shareholders	6,549,000	469,000	11,918,000	-47,672,000	'
Preferred dividends and inducements of preferred stock conversion	'	0	'	0	'
Preferred dividends	0	'	0	'	'
Net earnings (loss) attributable to Forest City Enterprises, Inc.	6,549,000	469,000	11,918,000	-47,672,000	'
Depreciation and amortization - Real Estate Groups	98,000	202,000	298,000	448,000	'
Net gain on disposition of partial interests in rental properties	0	'	0	'	'
Gain on disposition of unconsolidated entities	0	'	0	0	'
Impairment of consolidated depreciable real estate	0	0	0	0	'
Impairment of unconsolidated depreciable real estate	'	'	'	390,000	'
Discontinued operations:	'	'	'	'	'
Gain on disposition of rental properties	0	0	0	0	'
Impairment of consolidated depreciable real estate	'	0	'	0	'
Income tax benefit (expense) on non-FFO:	'	'	'	'	'
Gain on disposition of rental properties	0	0	0	0	'
Impairment of depreciable real estate	0	0	0	0	'
FFO	6,596,000	615,000	12,147,000	-46,927,000	'
Land Development Group [Member] | Real Estate Groups [Member]	'	'	'	'	'
Segment Reporting, Revenue Reconciling Item [Line Items]	'	'	'	'	'
Depreciation and amortization - Real Estate Groups	47,000	146,000	229,000	355,000	'
Discontinued operations:	'	'	'	'	'
Depreciation and amortization - Real Estate Groups	'	0	0	0	'
The Nets [Member]	'	'	'	'	'
Segment Reporting, Revenue Reconciling Item [Line Items]	'	'	'	'	'
Net earnings (loss) attributable to Forest City Enterprises, Inc. common shareholders	-50,000	-7,477,000	-2,763,000	-22,707,000	'
Preferred dividends and inducements of preferred stock conversion	'	0	'	0	'
Preferred dividends	0	'	0	'	'
Net earnings (loss) attributable to Forest City Enterprises, Inc.	-50,000	-7,477,000	-2,763,000	-22,707,000	'
Depreciation and amortization - Real Estate Groups	0	0	0	0	'
Net gain on disposition of partial interests in rental properties	0	'	0	'	'
Gain on disposition of unconsolidated entities	0	'	0	0	'
Impairment of consolidated depreciable real estate	0	0	0	0	'
Impairment of unconsolidated depreciable real estate	'	'	'	0	'
Discontinued operations:	'	'	'	'	'
Gain on disposition of rental properties	0	0	0	0	'
Impairment of consolidated depreciable real estate	'	0	'	0	'
Income tax benefit (expense) on non-FFO:	'	'	'	'	'
Gain on disposition of rental properties	0	0	0	0	'
Impairment of depreciable real estate	0	0	0	0	'
FFO	-50,000	-7,477,000	-2,763,000	-22,707,000	'
The Nets [Member] | Real Estate Groups [Member]	'	'	'	'	'
Segment Reporting, Revenue Reconciling Item [Line Items]	'	'	'	'	'
Depreciation and amortization - Real Estate Groups	0	0	0	0	'
Discontinued operations:	'	'	'	'	'
Depreciation and amortization - Real Estate Groups	'	0	0	0	'
Corporate Activities [Member]	'	'	'	'	'
Segment Reporting, Revenue Reconciling Item [Line Items]	'	'	'	'	'
Net earnings (loss) attributable to Forest City Enterprises, Inc. common shareholders	-140,865,000	-40,012,000	-190,940,000	-106,125,000	'
Preferred dividends and inducements of preferred stock conversion	'	17,731,000	'	25,431,000	'
Preferred dividends	0	'	185,000	'	'
Net earnings (loss) attributable to Forest City Enterprises, Inc.	-140,865,000	-22,281,000	-190,755,000	-80,694,000	'
Depreciation and amortization - Real Estate Groups	701,000	429,000	2,217,000	1,015,000	'
Net gain on disposition of partial interests in rental properties	0	'	0	'	'
Gain on disposition of unconsolidated entities	0	'	0	0	'
Impairment of consolidated depreciable real estate	0	0	0	0	'
Impairment of unconsolidated depreciable real estate	'	'	'	0	'
Discontinued operations:	'	'	'	'	'
Gain on disposition of rental properties	0	0	0	0	'
Impairment of consolidated depreciable real estate	'	0	'	0	'
Income tax benefit (expense) on non-FFO:	'	'	'	'	'
Gain on disposition of rental properties	204,162,000	7,893,000	220,993,000	17,174,000	'
Impairment of depreciable real estate	-33,864,000	-11,776,000	-36,988,000	-13,692,000	'
FFO	29,433,000	-26,164,000	-6,750,000	-77,212,000	'
Corporate Activities [Member] | Real Estate Groups [Member]	'	'	'	'	'
Segment Reporting, Revenue Reconciling Item [Line Items]	'	'	'	'	'
Depreciation and amortization - Real Estate Groups	0	0	0	0	'
Discontinued operations:	'	'	'	'	'
Depreciation and amortization - Real Estate Groups	'	$0	$0	$0	'

Capital_Stock_Detail_Textuals

Capital Stock (Detail Textuals) (USD $)

0 Months Ended

2 Months Ended

3 Months Ended

9 Months Ended

12 Months Ended

0 Months Ended

0 Months Ended

1 Months Ended

2 Months Ended

3 Months Ended

9 Months Ended

0 Months Ended

1 Months Ended

2 Months Ended

9 Months Ended

Apr. 16, 2013

Dec. 13, 2012

Oct. 31, 2013

Oct. 31, 2013

Oct. 31, 2012

Jan. 31, 2013

Jul. 12, 2013

Apr. 16, 2013

Jul. 12, 2013

Mar. 15, 2013

Mar. 14, 2013

Dec. 13, 2012

Oct. 31, 2013

Oct. 31, 2012

Oct. 31, 2013

Oct. 31, 2012

Apr. 16, 2013

Mar. 14, 2013

Dec. 13, 2012

Oct. 31, 2013

Jul. 12, 2013

Mar. 13, 2013

2014 Senior Notes [Member]

2014 Senior Notes [Member]

Series A Preferred Stock [Member]

Series A Preferred Stock [Member]

Series A Preferred Stock [Member]

Series A Preferred Stock [Member]

Series A Preferred Stock [Member]

Series A Preferred Stock [Member]

Series A Preferred Stock [Member]

Class A common stock [Member]

Class A common stock [Member]

Class A common stock [Member]

Class A common stock [Member]

Class A common stock [Member]

Class A common stock [Member]

Class of Stock [Line Items]

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Exchange of preferred stock, aggregate liquidation preference amount

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

$209,447,600

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Exchange of preferred stock, preferred shares exchanged

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

4,188,952

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Exchange of preferred stock, common shares issued for preferred stock

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

13,852,435

'

'

'

Exchange of preferred stock, initial conversion price

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

$15.12

'

'

'

Cash payments related to conversion of preferred stock for Class A common stock

'

19,069,000

'

0

-13,881,000

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Conversion of stock, shares converted

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

109,768

'

'

'

'

'

'

362,990

'

'

'

'

Stock redeemed during period, Shares

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

101,270

'

'

'

'

-101,000

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Stock redeemed during period, Value

'

'

'

-5,063,000

'

'

'

'

'

5,100,000

'

'

'

'

-5,063,000

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Shares received upon settlement of equity call hedge

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

765,134

Value per share of Class A common stock received upon settlement of equity call hedge

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

$16.82

Class A common stock received upon settlement of equity call hedge

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

12,868,000

Proceeds from equity call hedge related to Series A preferred stock issuance

'

'

'

10,231,000

0

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Preferred Stock (Textual) [Abstract]

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Preferred dividends

'

'

0

185,000

'

13,060,000

'

'

'

'

'

'

0

3,850,000

185,000

11,550,000

'

'

'

'

'

'

Aggregate principal amount of Senior Notes exchanged for Class A common stock

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

138,853,000

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Issuance of Class A shares in exchange for Senior Notes due 2014

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

9,549,721

'

'

13,679,000

'

'

Cash payment for additional exchange consideration, accrued interest and in lieu of fractional shares

4,860,000

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Aggregate principal amount of Senior Notes put to the Company

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

60,033,000

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Number of shares received by the note holder upon put

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

4,128,806

'

Cash payments for interest payable and in lieu of fractional shares for put transaction

'

'

'

'

'

'

$1,088,000

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'