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Business And Organization
 12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2011
Business And Organization [Abstract]  
Business And Organization

Note 1. Business and Organization

     Cedar Realty Trust, Inc. (formerly known as Cedar Shopping Centers, Inc. - the "Company") is a real estate investment trust ("REIT") that focuses primarily on ownership and operation of supermarket-anchored shopping centers straddling the Washington DC to Boston corridor. At December 31, 2011, the Company owned and managed 92 operating properties (excluding properties "held for sale/conveyance"), including 22 properties in the unconsolidated Cedar/RioCan joint venture.

     During the third quarter of 2011, the Company determined (1) to completely exit the Ohio market, principally the Discount Drug Mart portfolio of drugstore/convenience centers, and concentrate on the mid-Atlantic and Northeast coastal regions (10 properties sold in 2011 and four properties "held for sale" as of December 31, 2011), (2) to concentrate on grocery-anchored strip centers, by disposing of its mall and single-tenant/triple-net-lease properties (three properties sold in 2011 and 11 properties "held for sale" as of December 31, 2011), and (3) to focus on improving operations and performance at the Company's remaining properties, and to reduce development activities, by disposing of certain development projects, land acquired for development, and other non-core assets (four properties sold in 2011 and five properties "held for sale/conveyance" as of December 31, 2011). In addition, discontinued operations reflect the anticipated consummation of the Homburg joint venture buy/sell transactions (seven properties "held for sale" as of December 31, 2011).

     Cedar Realty Trust Partnership, L.P. (formerly known as Cedar Shopping Centers Partnership, L.P. - the "Operating Partnership") is the entity through which the Company conducts substantially all of its business and owns (either directly or through subsidiaries) substantially all of its assets. At December 31, 2011 the Company owned a 98.0% economic interest in, and was the sole general partner of, the Operating Partnership. The limited partners' interest in the Operating Partnership (2.0% at December 31, 2011) is represented by Operating Partnership Units ("OP Units"). The carrying amount of such interest is adjusted at the end of each reporting period to an amount equal to the limited partners' ownership percentage of the Operating Partnership's net equity. The approximately 1.4 million OP Units outstanding at December 31, 2011 are economically equivalent to the Company's common stock. The holders of OP Units have the right to exchange their OP Units for the same number of shares of the Company's common stock or, at the Company's option, for cash.

     As used herein, the "Company" refers to Cedar Realty Trust, Inc. and its subsidiaries on a consolidated basis, including the Operating Partnership or, where the context so requires, Cedar Realty Trust, Inc. only.