Organization	3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2020
Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]
Organization	Organization Griffin Capital Essential Asset REIT, Inc. (“GCEAR”), is a self-managed real estate investment trust ("REIT") organized primarily with the purpose of acquiring single tenant net lease properties essential to the business operations of the tenant. GCEAR’s year-end date is December 31. On December 14, 2018, GCEAR, Griffin Capital Essential Asset Operating Partnership II, L.P. (the “GCEAR II Operating Partnership”), GCEAR’s wholly-owned subsidiary Globe Merger Sub, LLC (“Merger Sub”), the entity formerly known as Griffin Capital Essential Asset REIT, Inc. (“EA-1”), and Griffin Capital Essential Asset Operating Partnership, L.P. (the “EA-1 Operating Partnership”) entered into an Agreement and Plan of Merger (the “Merger Agreement”). On April 30, 2019, pursuant to the Merger Agreement, (i) EA-1 merged with and into Merger Sub, with Merger Sub surviving as GCEAR’s direct, wholly-owned subsidiary (the “Company Merger”) and (ii) the GCEAR II Operating Partnership merged with and into the EA-1 Operating Partnership (the “Partnership Merger” and, together with the Company Merger, the “Mergers”), with the EA-1 Operating Partnership (and now known as the “Current Operating Partnership”) surviving the Partnership Merger. In addition, on April 30, 2019, following the Mergers, Merger Sub merged into GCEAR. In connection with the Mergers, the Company converted EA-1’s Series A cumulative perpetual convertible preferred stock into GCEAR’s newly created Series A cumulative perpetual convertible preferred stock (the “Series A Preferred Shares”). Also on April 30, 2019, the Company converted each EA-1 Operating Partnership unit outstanding into 1.04807 Class E units in the Current Operating Partnership and each unit outstanding in the GCEAR II Operating Partnership converted into one unit of like class in the Current Operating Partnership (the “OP Units”). Griffin Capital Real Estate Company, LLC (“GRECO”) is the Company's subsidiary and is the entity through which the Company conducts advisory, asset management, and property management businesses. In addition, on December 14, 2018, EA-1 and the EA-1 Operating Partnership entered into a series of transactions, agreements, and amendments to EA-1’s existing agreements and arrangements with EA-1’s former sponsor, Griffin Capital Company, LLC (“GCC”), and Griffin Capital, LLC (“GC LLC”), pursuant to which GCC and GC LLC contributed all of the membership interests of Griffin Capital Real Estate Company, LLC (“GRECO”) (including the GRECO employees) and certain assets related to the business of GRECO to the EA-1 Operating Partnership (the "Self-Administration Transaction). As a result of the Self-Administration Transaction, EA-1 became self-managed and acquired the advisory, asset management and property management business of GRECO. In connection with the Mergers, many of the agreements and amendments entered into by EA-1 as part of the Self-Administration Transaction were assumed by GCEAR pursuant to the Mergers. In connection with the Mergers, GCEAR was the legal acquirer and EA-1 was the accounting acquirer for financial reporting purposes, as discussed in Note 3, Real Estate. Thus, the financial information set forth herein subsequent to the Mergers reflects results of the combined entity, and the financial information set forth herein prior to the Mergers reflects EA-1’s results. For this reason, period to period comparisons may not be meaningful. Unless the context requires otherwise, all references to the “Company,” “we,” “our,” and “us” herein mean EA-1 and one or more of EA-1’s subsidiaries for periods prior to the Mergers, and GCEAR and one or more of GCEAR’s subsidiaries, including GRECO and the Current Operating Partnership, for periods following the Mergers. Certain historical information of GCEAR is included for background purposes. On September 20, 2017, GCEAR commenced a follow-on offering of up to $2.2 billion of shares (the “Follow-On Offering”), consisting of up to $2.0 billion of shares in GCEAR’s primary offering and $0.2 billion of shares pursuant to its distribution reinvestment plan ("DRP"). Since September 20, 2017, the Company had issued 10,142,991 shares of common stock for aggregate gross proceeds of approximately $96.9 million in its offerings. See Note 9 Equity, for the status of the Follow-On Offering and DRP. The Current Operating Partnership owns, directly or indirectly, all of the properties that the Company has acquired. As of March 31, 2020, the Company owned approximately 87.8% of the OP Units of the Current Operating Partnership. As a result of the contribution of five properties to the Company and the Self-Administration Transaction, the former sponsor and certain of its affiliates owned approximately 10.6% of the limited partnership units of the Current Operating Partnership, including approximately 2.4 million units owned by the Company’s Executive Chairman and Chairman of the Board, Kevin A. Shields, as of March 31, 2020. The remaining approximately 1.6% OP Units are owned by unaffiliated third parties. The Current Operating Partnership may conduct certain activities through one or more of the Company’s taxable REIT subsidiaries, which are wholly-owned subsidiaries of the Current Operating Partnership. As of March 31, 2020, the Company had issued 283,199,815 shares of common stock since November 9, 2009. The Company has received aggregate gross offering proceeds of approximately $2.8 billion from the sale of shares in its various private offerings, public offerings, and DRP offerings (shares and gross offering proceeds include EA-1 amounts). The Company also issued approximately 43,772,611 shares of its common stock upon the consummation of the merger of Signature Office REIT, Inc. in June 2015. There were 229,671,555 shares of common stock outstanding as of March 31, 2020, including shares issued pursuant to the DRP, less shares redeemed pursuant to the share redemption program ("SRP") and self-tender offer. As of March 31, 2020 and December 31, 2019, the Company had issued approximately $305.8 million and $293.7 million in shares pursuant to the DRP, respectively. As of March 31, 2020, $105.7 million in shares submitted for redemption subject to the Company's quarterly cap on aggregate redemptions are classified on the consolidated balance sheet as common stock subject to redemption.

Griffin Capital Essential Asset REIT, Inc. (“GCEAR”), is a self-managed real estate investment trust ("REIT") organized primarily with the purpose of acquiring single tenant net lease properties essential to the business operations of the tenant. GCEAR’s year-end date is December 31.

On December 14, 2018, GCEAR, Griffin Capital Essential Asset Operating Partnership II, L.P. (the “GCEAR II Operating Partnership”), GCEAR’s wholly-owned subsidiary Globe Merger Sub, LLC (“Merger Sub”), the entity formerly known as Griffin Capital Essential Asset REIT, Inc. (“EA-1”), and Griffin Capital Essential Asset Operating Partnership, L.P. (the “EA-1 Operating Partnership”) entered into an Agreement and Plan of Merger (the “Merger Agreement”). On April 30, 2019, pursuant to the Merger Agreement, (i) EA-1 merged with and into Merger Sub, with Merger Sub surviving as GCEAR’s direct, wholly-owned subsidiary (the “Company Merger”) and (ii) the GCEAR II Operating Partnership merged with and into the EA-1 Operating Partnership (the “Partnership Merger” and, together with the Company Merger, the “Mergers”), with the EA-1 Operating Partnership (and now known as the “Current Operating Partnership”) surviving the Partnership Merger. In addition, on April 30, 2019, following the Mergers, Merger Sub merged into GCEAR. In connection with the Mergers, the Company converted EA-1’s Series A cumulative perpetual convertible preferred stock into GCEAR’s newly created Series A cumulative perpetual convertible preferred stock (the “Series A Preferred Shares”). Also on April 30, 2019, the Company converted each EA-1 Operating Partnership unit outstanding into 1.04807 Class E units in the Current Operating Partnership and each unit outstanding in the GCEAR II Operating Partnership converted into one unit of like class in the Current Operating Partnership (the “OP Units”). Griffin Capital Real Estate Company, LLC (“GRECO”) is the Company's subsidiary and is the entity through which the Company conducts advisory, asset management, and property management businesses.

In addition, on December 14, 2018, EA-1 and the EA-1 Operating Partnership entered into a series of transactions, agreements, and amendments to EA-1’s existing agreements and arrangements with EA-1’s former sponsor, Griffin Capital Company, LLC (“GCC”), and Griffin Capital, LLC (“GC LLC”), pursuant to which GCC and GC LLC contributed all of the membership interests of Griffin Capital Real Estate Company, LLC (“GRECO”) (including the GRECO employees) and certain assets related to the business of GRECO to the EA-1 Operating Partnership (the "Self-Administration Transaction). As a result of the Self-Administration Transaction, EA-1 became self-managed and acquired the advisory, asset management and property management business of GRECO. In connection with the Mergers, many of the agreements and amendments entered into by EA-1 as part of the Self-Administration Transaction were assumed by GCEAR pursuant to the Mergers.

In connection with the Mergers, GCEAR was the legal acquirer and EA-1 was the accounting acquirer for financial reporting purposes, as discussed in Note 3, Real Estate. Thus, the financial information set forth herein subsequent to the Mergers reflects results of the combined entity, and the financial information set forth herein prior to the Mergers reflects EA-1’s results. For this reason, period to period comparisons may not be meaningful.

Unless the context requires otherwise, all references to the “Company,” “we,” “our,” and “us” herein mean EA-1 and one or more of EA-1’s subsidiaries for periods prior to the Mergers, and GCEAR and one or more of GCEAR’s subsidiaries, including GRECO and the Current Operating Partnership, for periods following the Mergers. Certain historical information of GCEAR is included for background purposes.

On September 20, 2017, GCEAR commenced a follow-on offering of up to $2.2 billion of shares (the “Follow-On Offering”), consisting of up to $2.0 billion of shares in GCEAR’s primary offering and $0.2 billion of shares pursuant to its distribution reinvestment plan ("DRP"). Since September 20, 2017, the Company had issued 10,142,991 shares of common stock for aggregate gross proceeds of approximately $96.9 million in its offerings. See Note 9 Equity, for the status of the Follow-On Offering and DRP.

The Current Operating Partnership owns, directly or indirectly, all of the properties that the Company has acquired. As of March 31, 2020, the Company owned approximately 87.8% of the OP Units of the Current Operating Partnership. As a result of the contribution of five properties to the Company and the Self-Administration Transaction, the former sponsor and certain of its affiliates owned approximately 10.6% of the limited partnership units of the Current Operating Partnership, including approximately 2.4 million units owned by the Company’s Executive Chairman and Chairman of the Board, Kevin A. Shields, as of March 31, 2020. The remaining approximately 1.6% OP Units are owned by unaffiliated third parties. The Current Operating Partnership may conduct certain activities through one or more of the Company’s taxable REIT subsidiaries, which are wholly-owned subsidiaries of the Current Operating Partnership.

As of March 31, 2020, the Company had issued 283,199,815 shares of common stock since November 9, 2009. The Company has received aggregate gross offering proceeds of approximately $2.8 billion from the sale of shares in its various private offerings, public offerings, and DRP offerings (shares and gross offering proceeds include EA-1 amounts). The Company also issued approximately 43,772,611 shares of its common stock upon the consummation of the merger of Signature Office REIT, Inc. in June 2015. There were 229,671,555 shares of common stock outstanding as of March 31, 2020, including shares issued pursuant to the DRP, less shares redeemed pursuant to the share redemption program ("SRP") and self-tender offer. As of March 31, 2020 and December 31, 2019, the Company had issued approximately $305.8 million and $293.7 million in shares pursuant to the DRP, respectively. As of March 31, 2020, $105.7 million in shares submitted for redemption subject to the Company's quarterly cap on aggregate redemptions are classified on the consolidated balance sheet as common stock subject to redemption.