Annual report pursuant to Section 13 and 15(d)

Real Estate Transactions (Schedule Of Properties Acquired) (Details)

v2.4.1.9
Real Estate Transactions (Schedule Of Properties Acquired) (Details) (USD $)
12 Months Ended 1 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2014
Dec. 31, 2013
item
property
Jan. 31, 2014
Nov. 20, 2013
Business Acquisition [Line Items]        
Number of Properties   5cli_NumberOfPropertiesAcquired    
Number of Apartment Units   1,081cli_NumberOfUnitsOnPropertyAcquired    
Acquisition Cost   $ 236,559,000us-gaap_BusinessCombinationConsiderationTransferred1    
Earn out paid 5,228,000cli_BusinessAcquisitionContingentConsiderationCashPaid 2,755,000cli_BusinessAcquisitionContingentConsiderationCashPaid    
Alterra At Overlook Ridge IA [Member]        
Business Acquisition [Line Items]        
Number of Properties   1cli_NumberOfPropertiesAcquired
/ us-gaap_BusinessAcquisitionAxis
= cli_AlterraAtOverlookRidgeIMember
   
Number of Apartment Units   310cli_NumberOfUnitsOnPropertyAcquired
/ us-gaap_BusinessAcquisitionAxis
= cli_AlterraAtOverlookRidgeIMember
   
Acquisition Cost   61,250,000us-gaap_BusinessCombinationConsiderationTransferred1
/ us-gaap_BusinessAcquisitionAxis
= cli_AlterraAtOverlookRidgeIMember
[1]    
Alterra At Overlook Ridge IB [Member]        
Business Acquisition [Line Items]        
Number of Properties   1cli_NumberOfPropertiesAcquired
/ us-gaap_BusinessAcquisitionAxis
= cli_AlterraAtOverlookRidgeIBMember
   
Number of Apartment Units   412cli_NumberOfUnitsOnPropertyAcquired
/ us-gaap_BusinessAcquisitionAxis
= cli_AlterraAtOverlookRidgeIBMember
   
Acquisition Cost   87,950,000us-gaap_BusinessCombinationConsiderationTransferred1
/ us-gaap_BusinessAcquisitionAxis
= cli_AlterraAtOverlookRidgeIBMember
[1]    
Park Square [Member]        
Business Acquisition [Line Items]        
Number of Properties   1cli_NumberOfPropertiesAcquired
/ us-gaap_BusinessAcquisitionAxis
= cli_ParkSquareMember
   
Number of Apartment Units   159cli_NumberOfUnitsOnPropertyAcquired
/ us-gaap_BusinessAcquisitionAxis
= cli_ParkSquareMember
   
Acquisition Cost   46,376,000us-gaap_BusinessCombinationConsiderationTransferred1
/ us-gaap_BusinessAcquisitionAxis
= cli_ParkSquareMember
[2]    
Cash consideration   43,421,000us-gaap_PaymentsToAcquireBusinessesGross
/ us-gaap_BusinessAcquisitionAxis
= cli_ParkSquareMember
   
Contingent consideration at fair value   405,000us-gaap_BusinessCombinationContingentConsiderationLiability
/ us-gaap_BusinessAcquisitionAxis
= cli_ParkSquareMember
  2,955,000us-gaap_BusinessCombinationContingentConsiderationLiability
/ us-gaap_BusinessAcquisitionAxis
= cli_ParkSquareMember
Amount of cash funded by qualified intermediary   42,613,355cli_BusinessCombinationAmountOfCashFromQualifiedIntermediary
/ us-gaap_BusinessAcquisitionAxis
= cli_ParkSquareMember
   
Earn out paid     2,550,000cli_BusinessAcquisitionContingentConsiderationCashPaid
/ us-gaap_BusinessAcquisitionAxis
= cli_ParkSquareMember
 
Richmond Ct / Riverwatch Commons [Member]        
Business Acquisition [Line Items]        
Number of Properties   2cli_NumberOfPropertiesAcquired
/ us-gaap_BusinessAcquisitionAxis
= cli_RichmondCourtAndRiverwatchCommonsMember
   
Number of Apartment Units   200cli_NumberOfUnitsOnPropertyAcquired
/ us-gaap_BusinessAcquisitionAxis
= cli_RichmondCourtAndRiverwatchCommonsMember
   
Acquisition Cost   40,983,000us-gaap_BusinessCombinationConsiderationTransferred1
/ us-gaap_BusinessAcquisitionAxis
= cli_RichmondCourtAndRiverwatchCommonsMember
[3]    
Amount of cash funded by qualified intermediary   $ 12,701,925cli_BusinessCombinationAmountOfCashFromQualifiedIntermediary
/ us-gaap_BusinessAcquisitionAxis
= cli_RichmondCourtAndRiverwatchCommonsMember
   
[1] The acquisition cost was funded primarily through borrowings under the Company’s unsecured revolving credit facility.
[2] The acquisition cost consisted of $43,421,000 in cash consideration and future purchase price earn out payment obligations, subsequent to conditions related to a real estate tax appeal, recorded at fair value of $2,955,000 at closing. $42,613,355 of the cash consideration was funded from funds held by a qualified intermediary, which were proceeds from the Company’s prior property sales. The remaining cash consideration was funded primarily from available cash on hand. $2,550,000 of the earn-out obligation amount was paid in January 2014, with the remaining balance of $405,000 still potentially payable in the future.
[3] $12,701,925 of the acquisition cost was funded from funds held by a qualified intermediary, which were proceeds from the Company’s prior property sales. The remaining acquisition cost was funded primarily from available cash on hand.