Note 8 - Other Real Estate Investments (Details) (USD $) Share data in Millions, unless otherwise specified	1 Months Ended	12 Months Ended										12 Months Ended			12 Months Ended			12 Months Ended				12 Months Ended							12 Months Ended		12 Months Ended
	Aug. 31, 2010	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010	Dec. 31, 2012 Seller Financing [Member] Preferred Equity Investments [Member]	Dec. 31, 2013 Preferred Equity Investments [Member] Amended [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Preferred Equity Investments [Member] Amended [Member]	Dec. 31, 2013 Preferred Equity Investments [Member] Leased Properties [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Preferred Equity Investments [Member] Leased Properties [Member]	Dec. 31, 2007 Preferred Equity Investments [Member] Leased Properties [Member]	Dec. 31, 2013 Preferred Equity Investments [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Preferred Equity Investments [Member]	Dec. 31, 2007 Preferred Equity Investments [Member]	Dec. 31, 2013 Preferred Equity Investments [Member] Minimum [Member]	Dec. 31, 2013 Preferred Equity Investments [Member] Maximum [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Preferred Equity Investments [Member] Sold [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Albertsons Joint Venture [Member]	Dec. 31, 2013 Albertsons Joint Venture [Member]	Dec. 31, 2013 Supervalu Inc [Member] Real Estate Acquired [Member] Albertsons [Member]	Dec. 31, 2013 Supervalu Inc [Member] Real Estate Acquired [Member]	Dec. 31, 2013 Supervalu Inc [Member] Albertsons [Member]	Dec. 31, 2013 Supervalu Inc [Member]	Dec. 31, 2013 NAI Group Holdings Inc [Member]	Dec. 31, 2013 Retail Store Leases [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Retail Store Leases [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Retail Store Leases [Member]	Dec. 31, 2013 Leveraged Lease [Member] Sold [Member]	Dec. 31, 2013 Leveraged Lease [Member]	Jun. 30, 2002 Leveraged Lease [Member]	Dec. 31, 2013 Albertsons Joint Venture [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Albertsons Joint Venture [Member]	Dec. 31, 2013 Preferred Equity Investments [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Preferred Equity Investments [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Preferred Equity Investments [Member]
Note 8 - Other Real Estate Investments (Details) [Line Items]
Equity Method Investments		$ 1,257,010,000	$ 1,428,155,000									$ 236,900,000	$ 287,800,000	$ 81,700,000			$ 0													$ 4,000,000	$ 5,800,000
Number of Real Estate Properties									392	397	403	483	504							414	456							19	11	30
Income (Loss) from Equity Method Investments		208,689,000	112,896,000	63,467,000								43,000,000	43,100,000					6,900,000							900,000	900,000	800,000				(16,500,000)		13,200,000	14,000,000	12,700,000
Equity Method Investment, Realized Gain (Loss) on Disposal												20,800,000	17,600,000
Number of Capital Transactions												16	21
Number of Agreements							1	1
Business Combination, Step Acquisition, Equity Interest in Acquiree, Remeasurement Loss												9,600,000
Promote Income													10,000,000
Mortgage Loans on Real Estate		30,243,000	70,704,000	102,972,000	108,493,000	7,500,000
Debt Instrument, Interest Rate, Stated Percentage						7.00%
Number of Master Leased Pools		1												30
Secured Debt		1,035,354,000	1,003,190,000									336,000,000																	17,900,000
Debt Instrument, Interest Rate, Stated Percentage Rate Range, Minimum												5.08%
Debt Instrument, Interest Rate, Stated Percentage Rate Range, Maximum												10.47%
Debt, Weighted Average Interest Rate												9.20%
Debt Instrument, Term															1 year	9 years
Equity Method Investment, Ownership Percentage																			13.60%											90.00%
Payments to Acquire Investments																							70,800,000	14,900,000
Payments to Acquire Other Real Estate																						22,300,000
Noncontrolling Interest, Ownership Percentage by Noncontrolling Owners																								15.00%
Grocery Banners Acquired																							4
Marketable Securities Acquired, Shares (in Shares)																							8.2
Payments to Acquire Marketable Securities		33,588,000																					33,600,000
Payments of Capital Distribution																																50,300,000
Operating Leases, Income Statement, Sublease Revenue																									3,600,000	3,900,000	5,100,000
Operating Leases, Income Statement, Initial Direct Costs																									2,700,000	3,000,000	4,300,000
Future Minimum Sublease Rentals, Sale Leaseback Transactions, Next Twelve Months																									3,900,000
Operating Leases, Future Minimum Payments Receivable, Current		704,800,000																							2,400,000
Future Minimum Sublease Rentals, Sale Leaseback Transactions, within Two Years																									3,100,000
Operating Leases, Future Minimum Payments Receivable, in Two Years		649,600,000																							2,000,000
Future Minimum Sublease Rentals, Sale Leaseback Transactions, within Three Years																									2,700,000
Operating Leases, Future Minimum Payments Receivable, in Three Years		570,200,000																							1,700,000
Future Minimum Sublease Rentals, Sale Leaseback Transactions, within Four Years																									2,100,000
Operating Leases, Future Minimum Payments Receivable, in Four Years		483,000,000																							1,200,000
Future Minimum Sublease Rentals, Sale Leaseback Transactions, within Five Years																									1,500,000
Operating Leases, Future Minimum Payments Receivable, in Five Years		390,500,000																							700,000
Future Minimum Sublease Rentals, Sale Leaseback Transactions, Thereafter																									90,000
Operating Leases, Future Minimum Payments Receivable, Thereafter		1,913,900,000																							60,000
Repayments of Secured Debt	$ 150,000,000																												$ 32,300,000