SIMON PROPERTY GROUP L P /DE/
424B3, 1999-02-02
REAL ESTATE INVESTMENT TRUSTS
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<PAGE>   1
                                               Filed Pursuant to Rule 424(b)(3)
                                               Registration No. 333-33545

 
THE INFORMATION IN THIS PROSPECTUS SUPPLEMENT IS NOT COMPLETE AND MAY BE
CHANGED. THIS PROSPECTUS SUPPLEMENT AND THE ACCOMPANYING PROSPECTUS ARE NOT AN
OFFER TO SELL, AND WE ARE NOT SOLICITING ANY OFFERS TO BUY, THESE SECURITIES IN
ANY JURISDICTION WHERE THE OFFER OR SALE IS NOT PERMITTED.
 
                             SUBJECT TO COMPLETION
 
            PRELIMINARY PROSPECTUS SUPPLEMENT DATED FEBRUARY 1, 1999
 
PROSPECTUS SUPPLEMENT
(TO PROSPECTUS DATED OCTOBER 15, 1997)
 
                                  $500,000,000
 
                           SIMON PROPERTY GROUP, L.P.
                      $250,000,000        % NOTES DUE 2004
                      $250,000,000        % NOTES DUE 2009
 
                             ----------------------
 
     We are offering two series of Notes. One series will bear interest at
     % per year and, unless we redeem them earlier, will mature on February   ,
2004. The other series will bear interest at      % per year and, unless we
redeem them earlier, will mature on February   , 2009. We will pay interest on
the Notes on February 15 and August 15 of each year, beginning August 15, 1999.
We may redeem the Notes at any time before maturity.
 
     The Notes will be unsecured and will rank equally with all of our other
unsecured senior indebtedness.
 
                             ----------------------
 
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                                                                                   PROCEEDS BEFORE
                                                                                     EXPENSES TO
                                                PUBLIC OFFERING    UNDERWRITING    SIMON PROPERTY
                                                   PRICE(1)          DISCOUNT        GROUP, L.P.
                                                ---------------    ------------    ---------------
<S>                                             <C>                <C>             <C>
Per Note Due 2004.............................        %                 %                %
Total.........................................        $                 $                $
Per Note due 2009.............................        %                 %                %
Total.........................................        $                 $                $
</TABLE>
 
     (1) Plus accrued interest from February   , 1999, if settlement occurs
         after that date.
 
     Neither the Securities and Exchange Commission nor any state securities
commission has approved or disapproved of these securities or determined if this
prospectus supplement or the accompanying prospectus is truthful or complete.
Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.
 
     The Notes will be ready for delivery in book-entry form only through The
Depository Trust Company on or about February   , 1999.
 
                             ----------------------
 
MERRILL LYNCH & CO.
        CHASE SECURITIES INC.
                 LEHMAN BROTHERS
                           J.P. MORGAN & CO.
                                  MORGAN STANLEY DEAN WITTER
                                         NATIONSBANC MONTGOMERY SECURITIES LLC
                                               SALOMON SMITH BARNEY
                                                     WARBURG DILLON READ LLC
 
                             ----------------------
 
          The date of this prospectus supplement is February   , 1999.
<PAGE>   2
 
                               TABLE OF CONTENTS
 
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                                                              PAGE
                                                              ----
<S>                                                           <C>
PROSPECTUS SUPPLEMENT
Simon Property Group, L.P. .................................   S-3
Use of Proceeds.............................................   S-3
Description of Notes........................................   S-3
Underwriting................................................  S-10
Legal Matters...............................................  S-11
 
PROSPECTUS
Available Information.......................................     2
Incorporation of Certain Documents by Reference.............     3
The Operating Partnership...................................     4
Use of Proceeds.............................................     5
Ratios of Earnings to Fixed Charges.........................     5
Description of Debt Securities..............................     6
Plan of Distribution........................................    16
Legal Matters...............................................    17
Experts.....................................................    17
</TABLE>
 
                             ----------------------
 
     You should rely only on the information contained or incorporated by
reference in this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus. We have
not, and the underwriters have not, authorized any other person to provide you
with different information. If anyone provides you with different or
inconsistent information, you should not rely on it. We are not, and the
underwriters are not, making an offer to sell these securities in any
jurisdiction where the offer or sale is not permitted. You should assume that
the information appearing in this prospectus supplement and the accompanying
prospectus is accurate as of their dates. Our business, financial condition,
results of operations and prospects may have changed since then.
 
               SPECIAL NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
 
     Information contained in or incorporated by reference into this prospectus
supplement and the accompanying prospectus contains "forward-looking statements"
which relate to, without limitation, future economic performance, our plans and
objectives for future operations and projections of revenue and other financial
items, which can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as
"may," "will," "should," "expect," "anticipate," "estimate" or "continue" or the
negative thereof or other variations thereon or comparable terminology. The
cautionary statements incorporated by reference from our periodic reports and
other similar statements contained in this prospectus supplement identify
important factors with respect to such forward-looking statements, including
certain risks and uncertainties, that could cause actual results to differ
materially from those in such forward-looking statements.
 
                                       S-2
<PAGE>   3
 
                           SIMON PROPERTY GROUP, L.P.
 
     Simon Property Group, L.P. (the "Operating Partnership") is a
majority-owned subsidiary of Simon Property Group, Inc. (the "Company"). The
Company is treated as a real estate investment trust or REIT for federal tax
purposes. The Operating Partnership and the Company are engaged in the
ownership, operation, management, leasing, acquisition, expansion and
development of real estate properties, primarily regional malls and community
shopping centers. The Operating Partnership and the Company were originally
formed for the purpose of continuing the shopping center businesses of Melvin
Simon, Herbert Simon, David Simon and certain of their affiliates and family
members. Since then, the Operating Partnership and the Company have grown
substantially by acquisition and merger, including significant mergers with
Corporate Property Investors, Inc. and its paired-share affiliate in 1998 and
with DeBartolo Realty Corporation in 1996. The Operating Partnership changed its
name from "Simon DeBartolo Group, L.P." to "Simon Property Group, L.P."
effective September 24, 1998. As of December 31, 1998, the Operating Partnership
owned or held interests in 240 income-producing properties, which consisted of
152 regional malls, 77 community shopping centers, three specialty retail
centers, five office and mixed-use properties and three value-oriented super-
regional malls in 35 states. The Operating Partnership also owns interests in
one regional mall, one value-oriented super regional mall, one specialty retail
center and three community centers currently under construction.
 
     The Operating Partnership continuously evaluates potential acquisition
opportunities of both single assets and portfolios and expects to pursue and
consummate additional strategic acquisitions which management believes will
serve the Operating Partnership's interests. The Operating Partnership is
presently engaged in non-exclusive discussions concerning the acquisition of a
portfolio of properties. The Operating Partnership has no definitive agreement
with the portfolio's owner for this acquisition.
 
                                USE OF PROCEEDS
 
     The Operating Partnership will use the net proceeds from the offering of
these Notes, which it expects to be $496.5 million, to repay $450 million under
its acquisition facility, with remaining proceeds to be used to pay down its
revolving credit facility or for working capital purposes. The $450 million
payment toward the acquisition facility represents the first installment, which
is due on June 24, 1999, and bore interest at an annual rate of 5.9% as of
January 29, 1999. As of January 29, 1999, the outstanding amount of indebtedness
under the revolving credit facility to be repaid with the proceeds from this
offering bore interest at an annual rate of 6.1% and had an initial maturity of
September 27, 1999, which can be extended for one year by the Operating
Partnership.
 
                              DESCRIPTION OF NOTES
 
     The following description of the particular terms of each of the two series
of Notes offered hereby supplements the description of the general terms and
provisions of Debt Securities set forth in the accompanying prospectus under the
caption "Description of Debt Securities."
 
GENERAL
 
     Each series of Notes is to be issued as a separate series of Debt
Securities under the Indenture, which is more fully described in the
accompanying prospectus. Certain terms used herein are defined in the
accompanying prospectus.
 
     One series will bear interest at      % per year and, unless redeemed
earlier, will mature on February   , 2004. The other series will bear interest
at      % per year and, unless redeemed earlier, will mature on February   ,
2009. The Operating Partnership will pay interest on each series of the Notes
semi-annually in arrears on February 15 and August 15 of each year, commencing
August 15, 1999, to the registered holders of the Notes on the preceding
February 1 or August 1, as the case may be.
 
     Neither series of Notes is repayable at the option of any holder before
maturity.
 
                                       S-3
<PAGE>   4
 
     The Notes will be issued as global Debt Securities. "See  -- Global
Securities" below. The Depository Trust Company, New York, New York or "DTC,"
will be the Depository with respect to the Notes. The Notes will be issued as
fully registered securities in the name of Cede & Co. ("Cede"), DTC's
partnership nominee, and will be deposited with DTC.
 
NO GUARANTEE BY SPG, LP
 
     The accompanying prospectus indicates that SPG, LP, a predecessor
subsidiary of the Operating Partnership, would guarantee the payment of the Debt
Securities. Effective December 31, 1997, SPG, LP (as defined in the accompanying
prospectus) was merged into the Operating Partnership. As a result, the
Operating Partnership acquired all of the assets and partnership interests
previously owned by SPG, LP and the obligations of SPG, LP as guarantor under
the Indenture were terminated.
 
CERTAIN COVENANTS
 
     Limitations on Incurrence of Debt.  The Operating Partnership will not, and
will not permit any Subsidiary (as defined below) to, incur any Debt (as defined
below), other than intercompany debt (representing Debt to which the only
parties are the Company, the Operating Partnership and any of their Subsidiaries
(but only so long as such Debt is held solely by any of the Company, the
Operating Partnership and any Subsidiary) that is subordinate in right of
payment to the Notes), if, immediately after giving effect to the incurrence of
such additional Debt, the aggregate principal amount of all outstanding Debt
would be greater than 60% of the sum of (i) the Operating Partnership's Adjusted
Total Assets (as defined below) as of the end of the fiscal quarter prior to the
incurrence of such additional Debt and (ii) any increase in Adjusted Total
Assets from the end of such quarter including, without limitation, any pro forma
increase from the application of the proceeds of such additional Debt.
 
     In addition the Operating Partnership will not, and will not permit any
Subsidiary to, incur any Debt secured by any mortgage, lien, pledge, encumbrance
or security interest of any kind upon any of the property of the Operating
Partnership or any Subsidiary ("Secured Debt"), whether owned at the date of the
Indenture or thereafter acquired, if, immediately after giving effect to the
incurrence of such additional Secured Debt, the aggregate principal amount of
all outstanding Secured Debt is greater than 55% of the sum of (i) the Operating
Partnership's Adjusted Total Assets as of the end of the fiscal quarter prior to
the incurrence of such additional Secured Debt and (ii) any increase in Adjusted
Total Assets from the end of such quarter including, without limitation, any pro
forma increase from the application of the proceeds of such additional Secured
Debt.
 
     In addition, the Operating Partnership will not, and will not permit any
Subsidiary to, incur any Debt if the ratio of Annualized EBITDA After Minority
Interest to Interest Expense (in each case as defined below) for the period
consisting of the four consecutive fiscal quarters most recently ended prior to
the date on which such additional Debt is to be incurred shall have been less
than 1.75 to 1 on a pro forma basis after giving effect to the incurrence of
such Debt and to the application of the proceeds therefrom, and calculated on
the assumption that (i) such Debt and any other Debt incurred since the first
day of such four-quarter period had been incurred, and the proceeds therefrom
had been applied (to whatever purposes such proceeds had been applied as of the
date of calculation of such ratio), at the beginning of such period, (ii) any
other Debt that has been repaid or retired since the first day of such
four-quarter period had been repaid or retired at the beginning of such period
(except that, in making such computation, the amount of Debt under any revolving
credit facility shall be computed based upon the average daily balance of such
Debt during such period), (iii) any income earned as a result of any assets
having been placed in service since the end of such four-quarter period had been
earned, on an annualized basis, during such period, and (iv) in the case of any
acquisition or disposition by the Operating Partnership, any Subsidiary or any
unconsolidated joint venture in which the Operating Partnership or any
Subsidiary owns an interest, of any assets since the first day of such
four-quarter period, including, without limitation, by merger, stock purchase or
sale, or asset purchase or sale, such acquisition or disposition and any related
repayment of Debt had occurred as of the first day of such period with the
appropriate adjustments with respect to such acquisition or disposition being
included in such pro forma calculation.
                                       S-4
<PAGE>   5
 
     For purposes of these covenants which limit the incurrence of Debt, Debt is
"incurred" whenever the Operating Partnership, any Subsidiary, or any
unconsolidated joint venture, as the case may be, creates, assumes, guarantees
or otherwise becomes liable for the Debt.
 
     Maintenance of Unencumbered Assets.  The Operating Partnership must
maintain Unencumbered Assets (as defined below) of not less than 150% of the
aggregate outstanding principal amount of the Unsecured Debt (as defined below)
of the Operating Partnership.
 
     As used herein:
 
     "Adjusted Total Assets" as of any date means the sum of (i) the amount
determined by multiplying the sum of the shares of common stock of the Company
issued in the initial public offering of the Company ("IPO") and the units of
the Operating Partnership not held by the Company outstanding on the date of the
IPO, by $22.25 (the "IPO Price"), (ii) the principal amount of the outstanding
consolidated debt of the Company on the date of the IPO, less any portion
applicable to minority interests, (iii) the Operating Partnership's allocable
portion, based on its ownership interest, of outstanding indebtedness of
unconsolidated joint ventures on the date of the IPO, (iv) the purchase price or
cost of any real estate assets acquired (including the value, at the time of
such acquisition, of any units of the Operating Partnership or shares of common
stock of the Company issued in connection therewith) or developed after the IPO
by the Operating Partnership or any Subsidiary, less any portion attributable to
minority interests, plus the Operating Partnership's allocable portion, based on
its ownership interest, of the purchase price or cost of any real estate assets
acquired or developed after the IPO by any unconsolidated joint venture, (v) the
value of the Merger compiled as the sum of (a) the purchase price including all
related closing costs and (b) the value of all outstanding indebtedness less any
portion attributable to minority interests, including the Operating
Partnership's allocable share, based on its ownership interest, of outstanding
indebtedness of unconsolidated joint ventures at the Merger date, and (vi)
working capital of the Operating Partnership; subject, however, to reduction by
the amount of the proceeds of any real estate assets disposed of after the IPO
by the Operating Partnership or any Subsidiary, less any portion applicable to
minority interests, and by the Operating Partnership's allocable portion, based
on its ownership interest, of the proceeds of any real estate assets disposed of
after the IPO by unconsolidated joint ventures.
 
     "Annualized EBITDA" means earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and
amortization for all properties with other adjustments as are necessary to
exclude the effect of items classified as extraordinary items in accordance with
generally accepted accounting principles, adjusted to reflect the assumption
that (i) any income earned as a result of any assets having been placed in
service since the end of such period had been earned, on an annualized basis,
during such period, and (ii) in the case of any acquisition or disposition by
the Operating Partnership, any Subsidiary or any unconsolidated joint venture in
which the Operating Partnership or any Subsidiary owns an interest, of any
assets since the first day of such period, such acquisition or disposition and
any related repayment of Debt had occurred as of the first day of such period
with the appropriate adjustments with respect to such acquisition or
disposition.
 
     "Annualized EBITDA After Minority Interest" means Annualized EBITDA after
distributions to third party joint venture partners.
 
     "Debt" means any indebtedness of the Operating Partnership and its
Subsidiaries on a consolidated basis, less any portion attributable to minority
interests, plus the Operating Partnership's allocable portion, based on its
ownership interest, of indebtedness of unconsolidated joint ventures, in respect
of (i) borrowed money evidenced by bonds, notes, debentures or similar
instruments, as determined in accordance with generally accepted accounting
principles, (ii) indebtedness secured by any mortgage, pledge, lien, charge,
encumbrance or any security interest existing on property owned by the Operating
Partnership or any Subsidiary directly, or indirectly through unconsolidated
joint ventures, as determined in accordance with generally accepted accounting
principles, (iii) reimbursement obligations, contingent or otherwise, in
connection with any letters of credit actively issued or amounts representing
the balance deferred and unpaid of the purchase price of any property, except
any such balance that constitutes an accrued expense or trade payable, and (iv)
any lease of property by the Operating Partnership or any Subsidiary as lessee
which is reflected in the Operating Partnership's consolidated balance sheet as
a capitalized lease or any lease of property by an unconsolidated
                                       S-5
<PAGE>   6
 
joint venture as lessee which is reflected in such joint venture's balance sheet
as a capitalized lease, in each case, in accordance with generally accepted
accounting principles; provided, that Debt also includes, to the extent not
otherwise included, any obligation by the Operating Partnership or any
Subsidiary to be liable for, or to pay, as obligor, guarantor or otherwise,
items of indebtedness of another person (other than the Operating Partnership or
any Subsidiary) described in clauses (i) through (iv) above (or, in the case of
any such obligation made jointly with another person, the Operating
Partnership's or Subsidiary's allocable portion of such obligation based on its
ownership interest in the related real estate assets).
 
     "Fixed Charges and Preferred Unit Distributions" consist of interest costs,
whether expensed or capitalized, the interest component of rental expense and
amortization of debt issuance costs, including the Operating Partnership's pro
rata share based on its ownership interest of joint venture interest costs,
whether expensed or capitalized and the interest component of rental expense and
amortization of debt issuance costs, plus any distributions on outstanding
preferred units.
 
     "Interest Expense" includes the Operating Partnership's pro rata share of
joint venture interest expense and is reduced by amortization of debt issuance
costs.
 
     "Subsidiary" means a corporation, partnership, joint venture, limited
liability company or other entity, a majority of the outstanding voting stock,
partnership interests or membership interests, as the case may be, of which is
owned or controlled, directly or indirectly, by the Operating Partnership or by
one or more other Subsidiaries of the Operating Partnership and, for purposes of
this definition, "voting stock" means stock having voting power for the election
of directors, or trustees, as the case may be, whether at all times or only so
long as no senior class of stock has such voting power by reason of any
contingency.
 
     "Unencumbered Annualized EBITDA After Minority Interest" means Annualized
EBITDA After Minority Interest less any portion thereof attributable to assets
serving as collateral for Secured Debt.
 
     "Unencumbered Assets" as of any date shall be equal to Adjusted Total
Assets as of such date multiplied by a fraction, the numerator of which is
Unencumbered Annualized EBITDA After Minority Interest and the denominator of
which is Annualized EBITDA After Minority Interest.
 
     "Unsecured Debt" means Debt which is not secured by any mortgage, lien,
pledge, encumbrance or security interest of any kind.
 
     The accompanying prospectus includes a description of additional covenants
that apply to the Notes. Generally, the covenants described in this prospectus
supplement and the additional covenants described in the accompanying prospectus
may not be waived unless the Holders of at least a majority in principal amount
of all outstanding Notes consent to the waiver. The defeasance and covenant
defeasance provisions of the Indenture described under "Description of Debt
Securities -- Discharge" and "-- Defeasance and Covenant Defeasance" in the
accompanying prospectus will apply to the Notes, including with respect to the
covenants described in this prospectus supplement.
 
OPTIONAL REDEMPTION
 
     The Operating Partnership may redeem the Notes of either series at any time
in whole or from time to time in part at a redemption price equal to the sum of
100% of the principal amount of the Notes being redeemed, accrued interest
thereon to the redemption date, and the Make-Whole Amount, if any, with respect
to such Notes. The Operating Partnership will, however, pay the interest
installment due on the interest payment date which occurs on or before any
redemption date to those holders of the Notes who were registered holders as of
the close of business on the record date immediately preceding such interest
payment date.
 
     If the Operating Partnership has given notice as provided in the Indenture
and made funds available for the redemption of any Notes called for redemption
on the redemption date referred to in such notice, such Notes will cease to bear
interest on such redemption date and the only right of the holders of such Notes
will be to receive payment of the redemption price.
 
                                       S-6
<PAGE>   7
 
     The Operating Partnership will give notice of any optional redemption of
any Notes to holders of the Notes at their addresses, as shown in the security
register for the Notes, not more than 60 nor less than 30 days prior to the date
fixed for redemption. The notice of redemption will specify, among other items,
the redemption price and the aggregate principal amount of the Notes to be
redeemed.
 
     If the Operating Partnership chooses to redeem less than all of the Notes
of a particular series, it will notify the Trustee at least 45 days prior to
giving notice of redemption, or such shorter period as is satisfactory to the
Trustee, of the series and aggregate principal amount of Notes to be redeemed
and their redemption date. The Trustee shall select, in such manner as it shall
deem fair and appropriate, Notes to be redeemed of such series in whole or in
part.
 
     As used herein:
 
          "Make-Whole Amount" means, in connection with any optional redemption
     or accelerated payment of any Notes, the excess, if any, of (i) the
     aggregate present value as of the date of such redemption or accelerated
     payment of each dollar of principal being redeemed or paid and the amount
     of interest, exclusive of interest accrued to the date of redemption or
     accelerated payment, that would have been payable in respect of each such
     dollar if such redemption or accelerated payment had not been made,
     determined by discounting, on a semiannual basis, such principal and
     interest at the Reinvestment Rate, as determined on the third Business Day
     preceding the date such notice of redemption or accelerated payment is
     given, from the respective dates on which such principal and interest would
     have been payable if such redemption or accelerated payment had not been
     made to the date of redemption or accelerated payment, over (ii) the
     aggregate principal amount of the Notes being redeemed or paid.
 
          "Reinvestment Rate" means .25% plus the arithmetic mean of the yields
     under the heading "Week Ending" published in the most recent Statistical
     Release under the caption "Treasury Constant Maturities" for the maturity,
     rounded to the nearest month, corresponding to the remaining life to
     maturity, as of the payment date of the principal being redeemed or paid.
     If no maturity exactly corresponds to such maturity, yields for the two
     published maturities most closely corresponding to such maturity shall be
     calculated pursuant to the immediately preceding sentence and the
     Reinvestment Rate shall be interpolated from such yields on a straight-line
     basis, rounding in each of such relevant periods to the nearest month. For
     the purposes of calculating the Reinvestment Rate, the most recent
     Statistical Release published prior to the date of determination of the
     Make-Whole Amount shall be used. If the format or content of the
     Statistical Release changes in a manner that precludes determination of the
     Treasury yield in the above manner, then the Treasury yield shall be
     determined in the manner that most closely approximates the above manner,
     as reasonably determined by the Operating Partnership.
 
          "Statistical Release" means the statistical release designated
     "H.15(519)" or any successor publication which is published weekly by the
     Federal Reserve System and which reports yields on actively traded United
     States government securities adjusted to constant maturities, or, if such
     statistical release is not published at the time of any required
     determination, then such other reasonably comparable index which shall be
     designated by the Operating Partnership.
 
          "Business Day" means any day, other than a Saturday or Sunday, on
     which banking institutions in New York, New York and Boston, Massachusetts
     are open for business.
 
GLOBAL SECURITIES
 
     The Notes will be evidenced by one or more global certificates (the "Global
Securities"), which will be deposited with, or on behalf of, DTC, and registered
in the name of Cede, as DTC's nominee.
 
     Holders may hold their interests in any of the Global Securities directly
through DTC, or indirectly through organizations which are participants in DTC
("Participants"). Transfers between Participants will be effected in the
ordinary way in accordance with DTC rules and will be settled in immediately
available funds.
 
     Holders who are not Participants may beneficially own interests in a Global
Security held by DTC only through Participants, including certain banks,
brokers, dealers, trust companies and other parties that clear
 
                                       S-7
<PAGE>   8
 
through or maintain a custodial relationship with a Participant, either directly
or indirectly, and have indirect access to the DTC system ("Indirect
Participants"). So long as Cede, as the nominee of DTC, is the registered owner
of any Global Security, Cede for all purposes will be considered the sole holder
of such Global Security. Except as provided below, owners of beneficial
interests in a Global Security will not be entitled to have certificates
registered in their names, will not receive or be entitled to receive physical
delivery of certificates in definitive form, and will not be considered the
holders thereof.
 
     Neither the Operating Partnership nor the Trustee (nor any registrar or
paying agent) will have any responsibility for the performance by DTC or their
Participants or Indirect Participants of their respective obligations under the
rules and procedures governing their operations. DTC has advised the Operating
Partnership that it will take any action permitted to be taken by a holder of
Notes only at the direction of one or more Participants whose accounts are
credited with DTC interests in a Global Security.
 
     DTC has advised the Operating Partnership as follows: DTC is a limited
purpose trust company organized under the laws of the State of New York, a
"banking organization" within the meaning of the New York Banking Law, a member
of the Federal Reserve System, a "clearing corporation" within the meaning of
the New York Uniform Commercial Code and a "clearing agency" registered pursuant
to the provisions of Section 17A of the Exchange Act. DTC was created to hold
securities for its Participants and to facilitate the clearance and settlement
of securities transactions, such as transfers and pledges, among Participants in
deposited securities through electronic book-entry changes to accounts of its
Participants, thereby eliminating the need for physical movement of securities
certificates. Participants include securities brokers and dealers, banks, trust
companies, clearing corporations and certain other organizations. Certain of
such Participants (or their representatives), together with other entities, own
DTC. The rules applicable to DTC and its Participants are on file with the
Commission.
 
     Purchases of Notes under the DTC system must be made by or through
Participants, which will receive a credit for the Notes on DTC's records. The
ownership interest of each actual purchaser of each Note (a "Beneficial Owner")
is in turn to be recorded on the Participant's and Indirect Participants'
records. Beneficial Owners will not receive written confirmation from DTC of
their purchase, but Beneficial Owners are expected to receive written
confirmations providing details of the transaction, as well as periodic
statements of their holdings, from the Participant or Indirect Participant
through which the Beneficial Owner entered into the transaction. Transfers of
ownership interests in the Notes are to be accomplished by entries made on the
books of Participants acting on behalf of Beneficial Owners. Beneficial Owners
will not receive certificates representing their ownership interests in Notes,
except in the event that use of the book-entry system for the Notes is
discontinued.
 
     The deposit of Debt Securities with DTC and their registration in the name
of Cede effect no change in beneficial ownership. DTC has no knowledge of the
actual Beneficial Owners of the Notes; DTC's records reflect only the identity
of the Participants whose accounts such Notes are credited, which may or may not
be the Beneficial Owners. The Participants will remain responsible for keeping
account of their holdings on behalf of their customers.
 
     The laws of some jurisdictions require that certain purchasers of
securities take physical delivery of securities in definitive form. Such laws
may impair the ability to transfer beneficial interests in the Global Security.
 
     Redemption notices shall be sent to Cede. If less than all of the principal
amount of the Global Securities of the same series is being redeemed, DTC's
practice is to determine by lot the amount of the interest of each Participant
therein to be redeemed.
 
     Conveyance of notices and other communications by DTC to Participants, by
Participants to Indirect Participants and by Participants and Indirect
Participants to Beneficial Owners will be governed by arrangements among them,
subject to any statutory or regulatory requirements that may be in effect from
time to time.
 
     Principal, Make-Whole Amount and interest payments on the Notes will be
made to DTC by wire transfer of immediately available funds. DTC's practice is
to credit Participants' accounts on the payable date
                                       S-8
<PAGE>   9
 
in accordance with their respective holdings shown on DTC's records unless DTC
has reason to believe that it will not receive payment on the payable date.
Payments by Participants to Beneficial Owners will be governed by standing
instructions and customary practices, as is the case with securities held for
the accounts of customers in bearer form or registered in "street name," and
will be the responsibility of such Participant and not of DTC or the Operating
Partnership, subject to any statutory or regulatory requirements as may be in
effect from time to time. Payments of principal, Make-Whole Amount and interest
to DTC is the responsibility of the Operating Partnership, disbursement of such
payments to Participants shall be the responsibility of DTC, and disbursement of
such payments to the Beneficial Owners shall be the responsibility of
Participants and Indirect Participants. Neither the Operating Partnership nor
the Trustee will have any responsibility or liability for any aspect of the
records relating to or payments made on account of beneficial ownership
interests in the Global Securities or for maintaining, supervising or reviewing
any records relating to such beneficial ownership interests.
 
     DTC may discontinue providing its services as securities depository with
respect to the Notes at any time by giving reasonable notice to the Operating
Partnership. If DTC notifies the Operating Partnership that it is unwilling or
unable to continue as depository for any Global Security or if at any time DTC
ceases to be a clearing agency registered as such under the Exchange Act when
DTC is required to be so registered to act as such depository and no successor
depository shall have been appointed within 90 days of such notification or of
the Operating Partnership becoming aware of DTC's ceasing to be so registered,
as the case may be, certificates for the relevant Notes will be printed and
delivered in exchange for interests in such Global Security. Any Global Security
that is exchangeable pursuant to the preceding sentence shall be exchangeable
for relevant Notes in authorized denominations registered in such names as DTC
shall direct. It is expected that such instruction will be based upon directions
received by DTC from its Participants with respect to ownership of beneficial
interests in such Global Security.
 
     The Operating Partnership may decide to discontinue use of the system of
book-entry transfers through DTC (or a successor securities depository). In that
event, certificates representing the Notes will be printed and delivered.
 
     The information in this section concerning DTC and DTC's book entry system
has been obtained from sources that the Operating Partnership believes to be
reliable, but the Operating Partnership does not take responsibility for the
accuracy thereof.
 
SAME-DAY SETTLEMENT AND PAYMENT
 
     The underwriters will pay for the Notes in immediately available funds. The
Operating Partnership will make all payments due on the Notes in immediately
available funds so long as such Notes are in book-entry form.
 
                                       S-9
<PAGE>   10
 
                                  UNDERWRITING
 
     Subject to the terms and conditions set forth in the terms agreement and
the related underwriting agreement, the Operating Partnership has agreed to sell
to Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated, Chase Securities Inc.,
Lehman Brothers Inc., J.P. Morgan Securities Inc., Morgan Stanley & Co.
Incorporated, NationsBanc Montgomery Securities LLC, Salomon Smith Barney Inc.
and Warburg Dillon Read LLC, as underwriters, and the underwriters have
severally agreed to purchase, the respective principal amounts of each series of
the Notes set forth opposite their names below. The underwriting agreement
provides that the obligations of the underwriters are subject to certain
conditions precedent and that when such conditions are satisfied the
underwriters will be obligated to purchase all of the Notes.
 
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                                                              PRINCIPAL AMOUNT     PRINCIPAL AMOUNT
                                                              OF NOTES DUE 2004    OF NOTES DUE 2009
UNDERWRITER                                                   -----------------    -----------------
<S>                                                           <C>                  <C>
Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith
             Incorporated...................................    $                    $
Chase Securities Inc. ......................................
Lehman Brothers Inc. .......................................
J.P. Morgan Securities Inc. ................................
Morgan Stanley & Co. Incorporated...........................
NationsBanc Montgomery Securities LLC.......................
Salomon Smith Barney Inc. ..................................
Warburg Dillon Read LLC.....................................
             Total..........................................
                                                                ------------         ------------
                                                                $250,000,000         $250,000,000
                                                                ============         ============
</TABLE>
 
     The underwriters have advised the Operating Partnership that they propose
initially to offer the Notes to the public at the applicable public offering
price set forth on the cover of this prospectus supplement, and to certain
dealers at such price less concessions not in excess of      % of the aggregate
principal amount of the Notes due 2004 and      % of the aggregate principal
amount of the Notes due 2009. The underwriters may allow, and such dealers may
reallow, discounts not in excess of      % of the aggregate principal amount of
the Notes due 2004 and      % of the aggregate principal amount of the Notes due
2009 to certain other dealers. After the initial public offering of the Notes,
the public offering price, concession and discount may be changed.
 
     The Notes are new issues of securities with no established trading market.
The Operating Partnership has been advised by the underwriters that they intend
to make a market in the Notes, but are not obligated to do so and may
discontinue market making at any time without notice. The Operating Partnership
can give no assurance as to the liquidity of or any trading market for the
Notes.
 
     In connection with the offering, the underwriters are permitted to engage
in certain transactions that stabilize the price of the Notes. Such transactions
consist of bids or purchases for the purpose of pegging, fixing or maintaining
the price of the Notes. If the underwriters create a short position in the Notes
of a particular series in connection with the offering, i.e., if they sell a
greater aggregate principal amount of Notes of either series than is set forth
on the cover of this prospectus supplement, the underwriters may reduce that
short position by purchasing Notes of the particular series in the open market.
In general, purchases of a security for the purpose of stabilization or to
reduce a short position could cause the price of the security to be higher than
it might be in the absence of such purchases.
 
     Neither the Operating Partnership nor any underwriter makes any
representation or prediction as to the direction or magnitude of any effect that
the transactions described above may have on the price of the Notes. In
addition, neither the Operating Partnership nor any underwriter makes any
representation that the underwriters will engage in such transactions or that
such transactions, once commenced, will not be discontinued without notice.
 
                                      S-10
<PAGE>   11
 
     The Operating Partnership has agreed to indemnify the several underwriters
against, or contribute to payments that the underwriters may be required to make
in respect of, certain liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities
Act of 1933.
 
     Certain of the underwriters have from time to time provided, and may
continue to provide in the future, various investment banking, commercial
banking and/or financial advisory services to the Company and the Operating
Partnership, for which customary compensation has been and will be received.
Affiliates of Chase Securities Inc., J.P. Morgan Securities Inc., NationsBanc
Montgomery Securities LLC and Warburg Dillon Read LLC are lead agents and/or
lenders under the Operating Partnership's acquisition facility and revolving
credit facility. A portion of the proceeds of the offering will be used to pay
down the acquisition facility and the revolving credit facility. To the extent
more than ten percent of the net proceeds of the offering will be paid to
affiliates of the underwriters, the offering will be made pursuant to the
requirements of Rule 2710(c)(8) of the Conduct Rules of the National Association
of Securities Dealers, Inc.
 
     The Operating Partnership estimates that its share of the total expenses of
the offering, excluding underwriting discounts and commissions, will be
approximately $250,000.
 
                                 LEGAL MATTERS
 
     The legality of the Notes and certain tax matters will be passed upon for
the Operating Partnership by Baker & Daniels, Indianapolis, Indiana. Rogers &
Wells LLP, New York, New York, will act as counsel to the underwriters.
 
                                      S-11
<PAGE>   12
 
PROSPECTUS
 
                                                      Simon DeBartolo Group Logo
 
                                 $1,000,000,000
 
                          SIMON DeBARTOLO GROUP, L.P.
                                Debt Securities
                            ------------------------
 
     Simon DeBartolo Group, L.P. (the "Operating Partnership") may from time to
time offer in one or more series unsecured non-convertible investment grade debt
securities ("Debt Securities") in an aggregate principal amount of up to $1
billion (or its equivalent in another currency based on the exchange rate at the
time of sale) in amounts, at prices and on terms to be set forth in one or more
supplements to this Prospectus (each a "Prospectus Supplement"). The Operating
Partnership is a subsidiary of Simon DeBartolo Group, Inc. (the "Company") and
is the Company's primary operating partnership. Simon Property Group, L.P., a
Delaware limited partnership and a subsidiary partnership of the Operating
Partnership, will guarantee (the "Guarantee") the due and punctual payment of
the principal of, premium, if any, interest on, and any other amounts payable
with respect to, the Debt Securities, when and as the same shall become due and
payable, whether at a maturity date, on redemption, by declaration of
acceleration or otherwise, and as set forth in the applicable Prospectus
Supplement with respect to such Debt Securities.
 
     The specific terms of the Debt Securities in respect of which this
Prospectus is being delivered will be set forth in the applicable Prospectus
Supplement and will include a specific title, aggregate principal amount,
currency, form (which may be registered or bearer, or certificated or global),
authorized denominations, maturity, rate (or manner of calculation thereof) and
time of payment of interest, terms for redemption at the option of the Operating
Partnership or repayment at the option of the holder, terms for sinking fund
payments, covenants and any initial public offering price.
 
     The applicable Prospectus Supplement will also contain information, where
applicable, concerning material United States federal income tax considerations
relating to, and any listing on a securities exchange of, the Debt Securities
covered by such Prospectus Supplement.
 
     The Debt Securities may be offered directly, through agents designated from
time to time by the Operating Partnership, or to and through underwriters or
dealers. If any agents, dealers or underwriters are involved in the sale of any
of the Debt Securities, their names, and any applicable purchase price, fee,
commission or discount arrangement between or among them, will be set forth, or
will be calculable from the information set forth, in an accompanying Prospectus
Supplement. See "Plan of Distribution." No Debt Securities may be sold without
delivery of a Prospectus Supplement describing the method and terms of the
offering of such series of Debt Securities.
 
     The Debt Securities will be direct, unsecured obligations of the Operating
Partnership and will, unless otherwise described in the applicable Prospectus
Supplement, rank equally with all other unsecured and unsubordinated
indebtedness of the Operating Partnership. On June 30, 1997, the total
outstanding debt of the Operating Partnership, including its pro rata share of
joint venture debt, was approximately $4,296 million, 79.6% of which was secured
debt. Except as otherwise described in the applicable Prospectus Supplement, the
Indenture pursuant to which the Debt Securities are issued does not limit the
amount of other indebtedness of the Operating Partnership including secured
debt.
                            ------------------------
 
  THESE SECURITIES HAVE NOT BEEN APPROVED OR DISAPPROVED BY THE SECURITIES AND
 EXCHANGE COMMISSION OR ANY STATE SECURITIES COMMISSION NOR HAS THE SECURITIES
   AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION OR ANY STATE SECURITIES COMMISSION PASSED UPON THE
ACCURACY OR ADEQUACY OF THIS PROSPECTUS. ANY REPRESENTATION TO THE CONTRARY IS A
                               CRIMINAL OFFENSE.
                            ------------------------
 
                The date of this Prospectus is October 15, 1997.
<PAGE>   13
 
     THE ATTORNEY GENERAL OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK HAS NOT PASSED ON OR ENDORSED
THE MERITS OF THIS OFFERING. ANY REPRESENTATION TO THE CONTRARY IS UNLAWFUL.
 
                             AVAILABLE INFORMATION
 
     The Operating Partnership is a subsidiary of Simon DeBartolo Group, Inc.
(the "Company"). Simon Property Group, L.P. ("SPG, LP") is a subsidiary
partnership of the Operating Partnership. The Company, the Operating Partnership
and SPG, LP are subject to the informational requirements of the Securities
Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the "Exchange Act"), and, in accordance
therewith, file reports, proxy statements (if applicable) and other information
with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "Commission"). Such reports,
proxy statements and other information filed by the Company, the Operating
Partnership and SPG, LP can be inspected and copied, at the prescribed rates, at
the public reference facilities of the Commission at Room 1024, 450 Fifth
Street, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20549, and at the Commission's regional offices
at 7 World Trade Center, Suite 1300, New York, New York 10048, and Northwestern
Atrium Center, 500 W. Madison Street, Chicago, Illinois 60661. The Company's
Common Stock is traded on the New York Stock Exchange ("NYSE"). Reports and
other information concerning the Company may be inspected at the principal
office of the NYSE at 20 Broad Street, New York, New York 10005.
 
     The Company, the Operating Partnership and SPG, LP, will provide without
charge to each person to whom a copy of this Prospectus is delivered, upon
written or oral request, a copy of any or all of the documents incorporated
herein by reference (other than exhibits to such documents). Written requests
for such copies should be addressed to National City Center, 115 West Washington
Street, Suite 15 East, Indianapolis, Indiana 46204, Attn: Investor Relations,
telephone number (317) 685-7330.
 
     This Prospectus constitutes a part of a Registration Statement on Form S-3
(the "Registration Statement") filed by the Operating Partnership and SPG, LP
with the Commission under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the
"Securities Act"), with respect to the Debt Securities and Guarantee offered
hereby. This Prospectus omits certain of the information contained in the
Registration Statement and the exhibits and schedules thereto, in accordance
with the rules and regulations of the Commission. For further information
concerning the Operating Partnership, SPG, LP and the Debt Securities offered
hereby, reference is hereby made to the Registration Statement and the exhibits
and schedules filed therewith, which may be inspected without charge at the
office of the Commission at 450 Fifth Street, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20549 and
copies of which may be obtained from the Commission at prescribed rates. The
Commission maintains a World Wide Web Site (http://www.sec.gov) that contains
such material regarding issuers that file electronically with the Commission.
This Registration Statement has been so filed and may be obtained at such site.
Any statements contained herein concerning the provisions of any document are
not necessarily complete, and, in each instance, reference is made to the copy
of such document filed as an exhibit to the Registration Statement or otherwise
filed with the Commission. Each such statement is qualified in its entirety by
such reference.
 
                                        2
<PAGE>   14
 
                INCORPORATION OF CERTAIN DOCUMENTS BY REFERENCE
 
     The following documents of the Operating Partnership and SPG, LP which have
been filed with the Commission are hereby incorporated by reference in this
Prospectus.
 
     1. The Operating Partnership's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year
ended December 31, 1996;
 
     2. The Operating Partnership's Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q for the
calendar quarters ended March 31, 1997 and June 30, 1997;
 
     3. The Operating Partnership's Current Reports on Form 8-K filed May 16,
1997, July 22, 1997 as amended July 23, 1997, August 15, 1997, September 4,
1997, September 10, 1997 and September 15, 1997;
 
     4. SPG, LP's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31,
1996;
 
     5. SPG, LP's Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q for the calendar quarters ended
March 31, 1997 and June 30, 1997; and
 
     6. SPG, LP's Current Reports on Form 8-K filed on May 16, 1997, July 22,
1997, August 15, 1997 and September 10, 1997.
 
     The Exchange Act filing numbers of the Operating Partnership and SPG, LP
are 333-11491 and 33-98364.
 
     Each document filed by the Operating Partnership and SPG, LP subsequent to
the date of this Prospectus pursuant to Section 13(a), 13(c), 14 or 15(d) of the
Exchange Act and prior to termination of the offering of all Debt Securities to
which this Prospectus relates shall be deemed to be incorporated by reference in
this Prospectus and shall be part hereof from the date of filing of such
document. Any statement contained herein or in a document incorporated or deemed
to be incorporated by reference herein shall be deemed to be modified or
superseded for purposes of this Prospectus to the extent that a statement
contained in this Prospectus (in the case of a statement in a previously-filed
document incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference herein), in any
accompanying Prospectus Supplement relating to a specific offering of Debt
Securities or in any other subsequently filed document that is also incorporated
or deemed to be incorporated by reference herein, modifies or supersedes such
statement. Any such statement so modified or superseded shall not be deemed,
except as so modified or superseded, to constitute a part of this Prospectus or
any accompanying Prospectus Supplement. Subject to the foregoing, all
information appearing in this Prospectus and each accompanying Prospectus
Supplement is qualified in its entirety by the information appearing in the
documents incorporated by reference.
 
                                        3
<PAGE>   15
 
                           THE OPERATING PARTNERSHIP
 
     Simon DeBartolo Group, L.P. (the "Operating Partnership") is a subsidiary
partnership of Simon DeBartolo Group, Inc. (the "Company") and is the primary
operating partnership of the Company. The Company is a self-administered and
self-managed real estate investment trust ("REIT"). Simon Property Group, L.P.
("SPG, LP" and together with the Operating Partnership, the "Partnerships") is a
subsidiary partnership of the Operating Partnership. The Partnerships are
engaged primarily in the ownership, development, management, leasing,
acquisition and expansion of income producing properties, primarily regional
malls and community shopping centers. On August 9, 1996, the Company acquired
the national shopping center business of DeBartolo Realty Corporation ("DRC"),
The Edward J. DeBartolo Corporation and their affiliates as the result of the
merger (the "Merger") of DRC with a subsidiary of the Company. As a result of
the Merger, the Portfolio Properties (as defined below) were expanded by 61
properties and the management resources of the merged entities were combined.
Management believes that the Portfolio Properties, as measured in gross leasable
area ("GLA"), constitute the largest and most geographically diverse portfolio
of any publicly traded REIT in North America and that the Company's market
capitalization is the largest of any publicly traded real estate company in
North America.
 
     SPG, LP continues to hold interests in certain properties and is a party to
various agreements binding on itself and on subsidiary partnerships of which it
is the general partner. These agreements require the continued existence of SPG,
LP. The consents necessary under these agreements to permit the combination of
SPG, LP and the Operating Partnership were not obtained at the time of the
Merger. To date, all of the required consents have been obtained. As a result
thereof, it is currently expected that subsequent to the first anniversary of
the date of the Merger, reorganizational transactions will be effected so that
the Operating Partnership will directly own all of the assets and partnership
interests now owned by SPG, LP. Prior to such proposed reorganizational
transactions, holders of the Debt Securities to be offered hereby will not, as a
result of the Guarantee, be structurally subordinated to holders of unsecured
and unsubordinated indebtedness of SPG, LP, but will rank pari passu with them.
After the proposed reorganizational transactions, holders of the Debt Securities
will remain pari passu with holders of such indebtedness. However, there can be
no assurance that such reorganizational transactions will be so effected.
 
     As of June 30, 1997, the Partnerships, owned or held interests in a
diversified portfolio of 186 income producing properties (the "Portfolio
Properties"), including 114 super-regional and regional malls, 65 community
shopping centers, three specialty retail centers and four mixed-use properties
located in 33 states; the Portfolio Properties contain an aggregate of
approximately 114 million square feet of gross leasable area ("GLA"), of which
approximately 68 million square feet is GLA owned by the Partnerships ("Owned
GLA"); approximately 3,100 different retailers occupy approximately 12,000
stores in the Portfolio Properties; total estimated retail sales at the
Portfolio Properties exceeded $16 billion in 1996; the Partnerships have
interests in six properties under construction in the United States aggregating
approximately four million square feet of GLA, and own land held for future
development. The Partnerships, together with their affiliated management
companies (collectively, the "Management Companies"), manage approximately 130
million square feet of GLA of retail and mixed-use properties.
 
     The Company is a general partner of the Operating Partnership and the sole
general partner of SPG, LP. The other general partner of the Operating
Partnership is SD Property Group, Inc. (the "Managing General Partner"). The
Company owns a 99.9% interest in the Managing General Partner.
 
     As of June 30, 1997, the Operating Partnership and the Management Companies
had approximately 5,700 employees. The Operating Partnership's executive offices
are located at National City Center, 115 West Washington Street, Suite 15 East,
Indianapolis, Indiana 46204, and its telephone number is (317) 636-1600.
 
                                        4
<PAGE>   16
 
                                USE OF PROCEEDS
 
     Except as otherwise provided in the applicable Prospectus Supplement,
proceeds to the Operating Partnership from the sale of the Debt Securities
offered hereby will be added to the working capital of the Operating Partnership
and will be available for general purposes, which may include the repayment of
indebtedness, the financing of capital commitments and possible future
acquisitions associated with the continued expansion of the Partnerships'
business.
 
                       RATIO OF EARNINGS TO FIXED CHARGES
 
     The following table sets forth the historical consolidated ratio of
earnings to fixed charges of the Operating Partnership and its predecessors for
the periods indicated.
 
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
      SIX MONTHS ENDED
          JUNE 30,                                   YEAR ENDED DECEMBER 31,
  -------------------------    --------------------------------------------------------------------
     1997          1996           1996           1995          1994          1993          1992
  -----------   -----------    -----------    -----------   -----------   -----------   -----------
  <S>           <C>            <C>            <C>           <C>           <C>           <C>
      1.71x          1.54x          1.64x          1.67x         1.43x         3.36x(1)        --(1)
</TABLE>
 
- ---------------
 
(1) Prior to the commencement of business by SPG, LP in December 1993, the
    predecessor of SPG, LP maintained a different ownership and equity
    structure. The operating properties of the predecessor of SPG, LP
    historically generated positive net cash flow. The financial statements of
    the predecessor of SPG, LP show net income for the period January 1, 1993
    through December 19, 1993, and net losses for the year ended December 31,
    1992. The ratio of earnings to fixed charges for the period January 1, 1993
    through December 19, 1993 was 1.11x. As a consequence of the net losses for
    the year ended December 31, 1992, the computation of the ratio of earnings
    to fixed charges for 1992 indicates that earnings were inadequate to cover
    fixed charges by approximately $12.8 million.
 
     For purposes of computing the ratio of earnings to fixed charges, earnings
have been calculated by adding fixed charges, excluding capitalized interest, to
income (loss) from continuing operations including income from minority
interests which have fixed charges, and including distributed operating income
from unconsolidated joint ventures instead of income from unconsolidated joint
ventures. Fixed charges consist of interest costs, whether expensed or
capitalized, the interest component of rental expense and amortization of debt
issuance costs.
 
                                        5
<PAGE>   17
 
                         DESCRIPTION OF DEBT SECURITIES
 
     The Debt Securities will be issued under an Indenture dated as of November
26, 1996 (the "Indenture"), among the Operating Partnership, SPG, LP, as
guarantor, and The Chase Manhattan Bank, as trustee. The Indenture has been
filed as an exhibit to the Registration Statement of which this Prospectus is a
part and is available for inspection at the corporate trust office of the
trustee at 450 West 33rd Street, 15th Floor, New York, New York 10001, or as
described above under "Available Information." The Indenture is subject to, and
governed by, the Trust Indenture Act of 1939, as amended (the "TIA"). The
statements made hereunder or in any Prospectus Supplement relating to the
Indenture and the Debt Securities to be issued thereunder are summaries of
certain provisions thereof and do not purport to be complete and are subject to,
and are qualified in their entirety by reference to, all provisions of the
Indenture and such Debt Securities. All section references appearing herein are
to sections of the Indenture, and capitalized terms used but not defined herein
shall have the respective meanings set forth in the Indenture.
 
     The Debt Securities to be offered hereby and in any applicable Prospectus
Supplement will be "investment grade" securities, meaning at the time of the
offering of such Debt Securities, at least one nationally recognized statistical
rating organization (as defined in the Exchange Act) has rated such Debt
Securities in one of its generic rating categories which signifies investment
grade (typically the four highest rating categories, within which there may be
subcategories or gradations indicating relative standing, signify investment
grade). An investment grade rating is not a recommendation to buy, sell or hold
securities, is subject to revision or withdrawal at any time by the assigning
entity, and should be evaluated independently of any other rating.
 
GENERAL
 
     The Debt Securities will be direct, unsecured obligations of the Operating
Partnership and, unless otherwise described in the applicable Prospectus
Supplement, will rank equally with all other unsecured and unsubordinated
indebtedness of the Operating Partnership. No partner (whether limited or
general, including the Company and the Managing General Partner) of the
Operating Partnership has any obligation for payment of principal of (and
premium, if any) and interest, if any, on, or any other amount with respect to,
the Debt Securities (Section 1602). At June 30, 1997, the total outstanding debt
of the Operating Partnership, including its pro rata share of joint venture
debt, was approximately $4,296 million, 79.6% of which was secured debt. Except
as otherwise described in the applicable Prospectus Supplement, the Indenture
does not limit the amount of other indebtedness of the Operating Partnership
that may rank equally with or senior to the Debt Securities. The Debt Securities
may be issued without limit as to aggregate principal amount, in one or more
series, in each case as established from time to time in or pursuant to
authority granted by a resolution of the Board of Directors of the Managing
General Partner, as the managing general partner of the Operating Partnership or
as established in one or more indentures supplemental to the Indenture. All Debt
Securities of one series need not be issued at the same time and, unless
otherwise provided, a series may be reopened, without the consent of the holders
of the Debt Securities of such series, for issuances of additional Debt
Securities of such series (Section 301).
 
     The Indenture provides that there may be more than one trustee (the
"Trustee") thereunder, each with respect to one or more series of Debt
Securities. Any Trustee under the Indenture may resign or be removed with
respect to one or more series of Debt Securities, and a successor Trustee may be
appointed to act with respect to such series (Section 608). In the event that
two or more persons are acting as Trustee with respect to different series of
Debt Securities, each such Trustee shall be a trustee of a trust under the
Indenture separate and apart from the trust administered by any other Trustee
(Section 609), and, except as otherwise indicated herein, any action described
herein to be taken by a Trustee may be taken by each such Trustee with respect
to, and only with respect to, the one or more series of Debt Securities for
which it is Trustee under the Indenture.
 
                                        6
<PAGE>   18
 
     Reference is made to the Prospectus Supplement relating to the series of
Debt Securities being offered for the specific terms thereof, including:
 
           (1) the title of such Debt Securities;
 
           (2) the aggregate principal amount of such Debt Securities and any
     limit on such aggregate principal amount;
 
           (3) the percentage of the principal amount at which such Debt
     Securities will be issued and, if other than the principal amount thereof,
     the portion of the principal amount thereof payable upon acceleration of
     the maturity thereof;
 
           (4) the date or dates, or the method for determining such date or
     dates, on which the principal of such Debt Securities will be payable;
 
           (5) the rate or rates (which may be fixed or variable), or the method
     by which such rate or rates shall be determined, at which such Debt
     Securities will bear interest, if any;
 
           (6) the date or dates, or the method for determining such date or
     dates, from which any interest will accrue, the dates on which any such
     interest will be payable, the record dates for such interest payment dates,
     or the method by which any such record date shall be determined, the
     persons to whom such interest shall be payable, and the basis upon which
     interest shall be calculated if other than that of a 360-day year of twelve
     30-day months;
 
           (7) the place or places where the principal of (and premium, if any)
     and interest, if any, on such Debt Securities will be payable, such Debt
     Securities may be surrendered for registration of transfer or exchange and
     notices or demands to or upon the Operating Partnership in respect of such
     Debt Securities and the Indenture may be served;
 
           (8) the period or periods within which, the price or prices at which
     and the terms and conditions upon which such Debt Securities may be
     redeemed, in whole or in part, at the option of the Operating Partnership,
     if the Operating Partnership is to have such an option;
 
           (9) the obligation, if any, of the Operating Partnership to redeem,
     repay or purchase such Debt Securities pursuant to any sinking fund or
     analogous provision or at the option of a Holder thereof, and the period or
     periods within which, the price or prices at which and the terms and
     conditions upon which such Debt Securities will be redeemed, repaid or
     purchased, in whole or in part, pursuant to such obligation;
 
          (10) if other than U.S. dollars, the currency or currencies in which
     such Debt Securities are denominated and payable, which may be a foreign
     currency or units of two or more foreign currencies or a composite currency
     or currencies, and the terms and conditions relating thereto;
 
          (11) whether the amount of payments of principal of (and premium, if
     any) or interest, if any, on such Debt Securities may be determined with
     reference to an index, formula or other method (which index, formula or
     method may, but need not be, based on a currency, currencies, currency unit
     or units or composite currency or currencies) and the manner in which such
     amounts shall be determined;
 
          (12) the events of default or covenants of such Debt Securities, to
     the extent different from or in addition to those described herein;
 
          (13) whether such Debt Securities will be issued in certificated or
     book-entry form;
 
          (14) whether such Debt Securities will be in registered or bearer form
     and, if in registered form, the denominations thereof if other than $1,000
     and any integral multiple thereof and, if in bearer form, the denominations
     thereof if other than $5,000, and any integral multiple thereof and the
     terms and conditions relating thereto;
 
          (15) the applicability, if any, of the defeasance and covenant
     defeasance provisions described herein, or any modification thereof;
 
                                        7
<PAGE>   19
 
          (16) if such Debt Securities are to be issued upon the exercise of
     debt warrants, the time, manner and place of such Debt Securities to be
     authenticated and delivered;
 
          (17) whether and under what circumstances the Operating Partnership
     will pay additional amounts on such Debt Securities in respect of any tax,
     assessment or governmental charge and, if so, whether the Operating
     Partnership will have the option to redeem such Debt Securities in lieu of
     making such payment;
 
          (18) with respect to any Debt Securities that provide for optional
     redemption or prepayment upon the occurrence of certain events (such as a
     change of control of the Operating Partnership), (i) the possible effects
     of such provisions on the market price of the Operating Partnership's
     securities or in deterring certain mergers, tender offers or other takeover
     attempts, and the intention of the Operating Partnership to comply with the
     requirements of Rule 14e-1 under the Exchange Act and any other applicable
     securities laws in connection with such provisions; (ii) whether the
     occurrence of the specified events may give rise to cross-defaults on other
     indebtedness such that payment on such Debt Securities may be effectively
     subordinated; and (iii) the existence of any limitation on the Operating
     Partnership's financial or legal ability to repurchase such Debt Securities
     upon the occurrence of such an event (including, if true, the lack of
     assurance that such a repurchase can be effected) and the impact, if any,
     under the Indenture of such a failure, including whether and under what
     circumstances such a failure may constitute an Event of Default; and
 
          (19) any other terms of such Debt Securities.
 
     The Debt Securities may provide for less than the entire principal amount
thereof to be payable upon acceleration of the maturity thereof ("Original Issue
Discount Securities"). If material or applicable, special U.S. federal income
tax, accounting and other considerations applicable to Original Issue Discount
Securities will be described in the applicable Prospectus Supplement.
 
     Except as described under "-- Merger, Consolidation or Sale" below or as
may be set forth in any Prospectus Supplement, the Indenture does not contain
any other provisions that would limit the ability of the Operating Partnership
to incur indebtedness or that would afford holders of the Debt Securities
protection in the event of (i) a highly leveraged or similar transaction
involving the Operating Partnership, the Company or the management of the
Company, or any affiliate of any such party, (ii) a change of control, or (iii)
a reorganization, restructuring, merger or similar transaction involving the
Operating Partnership that may adversely affect the holders of the Debt
Securities. In addition, subject to the limitations set forth under "-- Merger,
Consolidation or Sale," the Operating Partnership may, in the future, enter into
certain transactions, such as the sale of all or substantially all of its assets
or the merger or consolidation of the Operating Partnership, that would increase
the amount of the Operating Partnership's indebtedness or substantially reduce
or eliminate the Operating Partnership's assets, which may have an adverse
effect on the Operating Partnership's ability to service its indebtedness,
including the Debt Securities. Reference is made to the applicable Prospectus
Supplement for information with respect to any deletions from, modifications of
or additions to the events of default or covenants that are described below,
including any addition of a covenant or other provision providing event risk or
similar protection.
 
     Reference is made to "-- Certain Covenants" below and to the description of
any additional covenants with respect to a series of Debt Securities in the
applicable Prospectus Supplement. Except as otherwise described in the
applicable Prospectus Supplement, compliance with such covenants generally may
not be waived with respect to a series of Debt Securities unless the Holders of
at least a majority in principal amount of all outstanding Debt Securities of
such series consent to such waiver, except to the extent that the defeasance and
covenant defeasance provisions of the Indenture described under "-- Discharge"
and "-- Defeasance and Covenant Defeasance" below apply to such series of Debt
Securities. See "-- Modification of the Indenture."
 
     Debt Securities may be denominated and payable in a foreign currency or
units of two or more foreign currencies or a composite currency or currencies.
As more fully described in the applicable Prospectus Supplement, awards or
judgments by a court in the United States in connection with a claim with
respect to
 
                                        8
<PAGE>   20
 
any Debt Securities denominated other than in United States dollars (or a
judgment denominated other than in United States dollars in respect of such
claims) may be converted into United States dollars at a rate of exchange
prevailing on a date determined pursuant to applicable law.
 
DENOMINATIONS, INTEREST, REGISTRATION AND TRANSFER
 
     Unless otherwise described in the applicable Prospectus Supplement, the
Debt Securities of any series which are registered securities, other than
registered securities issued in global form (which may be of any denomination),
shall be issuable in denominations of $1,000 and any integral multiple thereof
and the Debt Securities which are bearer securities, other than bearer
securities issued in global form (which may be of any denomination), shall be
issuable in denominations of $5,000 and any integral multiple thereof (Section
302).
 
     Unless otherwise specified in the applicable Prospectus Supplement, the
principal of (and premium, if any) and interest on any series of Debt Securities
in registered form will be payable at the corporate trust office of the Trustee,
initially located at 450 West 33rd Street, 15th Floor, New York, New York 10001,
provided that, at the option of the Operating Partnership, payment of interest
may be made by check mailed to the address of the Person entitled thereto as it
appears in the applicable Security Register or by wire transfer of funds to such
Person at an account maintained within the United States (Sections 301, 307 and
1002).
 
     Unless otherwise specified in the applicable Prospectus Supplement, any
interest not punctually paid or duly provided for on any Interest Payment Date
with respect to a Debt Security in registered form ("Defaulted Interest") will
forthwith cease to be payable to the Holder on the applicable Regular Record
Date and may either be paid to the Person in whose name such Debt Security is
registered at the close of business on a special record date (the "Special
Record Date") for the payment of such Defaulted Interest to be fixed by the
Trustee, notice whereof shall be given to the Holder of such Debt Security not
less than 10 days prior to such Special Record Date, or may be paid at any time
in any other lawful manner, all as more completely described in the Indenture
(Section 307).
 
     Subject to certain limitations imposed upon Debt Securities issued in
book-entry form, the Debt Securities of any series will be exchangeable for
other Debt Securities of the same series and of a like aggregate principal
amount and tenor of different authorized denominations upon surrender of such
Debt Securities at the corporate trust office of the Trustee referred to above.
In addition, subject to certain limitations imposed upon Debt Securities issued
in book-entry form, the Debt Securities of any series may be surrendered for
registration of transfer thereof at the corporate trust office of the Trustee
referred to above. Every Debt Security surrendered for registration of transfer
or exchange shall be duly endorsed or accompanied by a written instrument of
transfer. No service charge will be made for any registration of transfer or
exchange of any Debt Securities, but the Trustee or the Operating Partnership
may require payment of a sum sufficient to cover any tax or other governmental
charge payable in connection therewith (Section 305). If the applicable
Prospectus Supplement refers to any transfer agent (in addition to the Trustee)
initially designated by the Operating Partnership with respect to any series of
Debt Securities, the Operating Partnership may at any time rescind the
designation of any such transfer agent or approve a change in the location
through which any such transfer agent acts, except that the Operating
Partnership will be required to maintain a transfer agent in each place of
payment for such series. The Operating Partnership may at any time designate
additional transfer agents with respect to any series of Debt Securities
(Section 1002).
 
     Neither the Operating Partnership nor the Trustee shall be required (i) to
issue, register the transfer of or exchange any Debt Security if such Debt
Security may be among those selected for redemption during a period beginning at
the opening of business 15 days before selection of the Debt Securities to be
redeemed and ending at the close of business on (A) if such Debt Securities are
issuable only as Registered Securities, the day of the mailing of the relevant
notice of redemption and (B) if such Debt Securities are issuable as Bearer
Securities, the day of the first publication of the relevant notice of
redemption or, if such Debt Securities are also issuable as Registered
Securities and there is no publication, the mailing of the relevant notice of
redemption, or (ii) to register the transfer of or exchange any Registered
Security so selected for redemption in whole or in part, except, in the case of
any Registered Security to be redeemed in part, the portion thereof not to be
redeemed, or (iii) to exchange any Bearer Security so selected for redemption
except that, to the
 
                                        9
<PAGE>   21
 
extent provided with respect to such Bearer Security, such Bearer Security may
be exchanged for a Registered Security of that series and of like tenor,
provided that such Registered Security shall be simultaneously surrendered for
redemption, or (iv) to issue, register the transfer of or exchange any Debt
Security which has been surrendered for repayment at the option of the Holder,
except the portion, if any, of such Debt Security not to be so repaid (Section
305).
 
MERGER, CONSOLIDATION OR SALE
 
     The Operating Partnership or the Guarantor may consolidate with, or sell,
lease or convey all or substantially all of its assets to, or merge with or
into, any other entity, provided that (a) the Operating Partnership or the
Guarantor, as the case may be, shall be the continuing entity, or the successor
entity (if other than the Operating Partnership or the Guarantor) formed by or
resulting from any such consolidation or merger or which shall have received the
transfer of such assets shall expressly assume payment of the principal of (and
premium, if any) and interest on all the Debt Securities and the due and
punctual performance and observance of all of the covenants and conditions
contained in the Indenture; (b) immediately after giving effect to such
transaction and treating any indebtedness which becomes an obligation of the
Operating Partnership or the Guarantor, such successor entity or any Subsidiary
as a result thereof as having been incurred by the Operating Partnership or the
Guarantor, such successor entity or such Subsidiary at the time of such
transaction, no Event of Default under the Indenture, and no event which, after
notice or the lapse of time, or both, would become such an Event of Default,
shall have occurred and be continuing; and (c) an officer's certificate and
legal opinion covering such conditions shall be delivered to the Trustee
(Sections 801 and 803).
 
CERTAIN COVENANTS
 
     Existence.  Except as permitted under "-- Merger, Consolidation or Sale"
above, the Operating Partnership is required to do or cause to be done all
things necessary to preserve and keep in full force and effect its existence,
rights (statutory and charter) and franchises; provided, however, that the
Operating Partnership shall not be required to preserve any such right or
franchise if it determines that the loss thereof is not disadvantageous in any
material respect to the Holders of the Debt Securities (Section 1006).
 
     Maintenance of Properties.  The Operating Partnership is required to cause
all of its material properties used or useful in the conduct of its business or
the business of any Subsidiary to be maintained and kept in good condition,
repair and working order and supplied with all necessary equipment and to cause
to be made all necessary repairs, renewals, replacements, betterments and
improvements thereof, all as in the judgment of the Operating Partnership may be
necessary so that the business carried on in connection therewith may be
properly conducted at all times; provided, however, that the Operating
Partnership and its subsidiaries shall not be prevented from selling or
otherwise disposing for value their respective properties in the ordinary course
of business (Section 1007).
 
     Insurance.  The Operating Partnership is required to, and is required to
cause each of its Subsidiaries to, keep all of its insurable properties insured
against loss or damage at least equal to their then full insurable value
(subject to reasonable deductibles determined from time to time by the Operating
Partnership) with financially sound and reputable insurance companies (Section
1008).
 
     Payment of Taxes and Other Claims.  The Operating Partnership is required
to pay or discharge or cause to be paid or discharged, before the same shall
become delinquent, (i) all taxes, assessments and governmental charges levied or
imposed upon it or any Subsidiary or upon its income, profits or property or
that of any Subsidiary, and (ii) all lawful claims for labor, materials and
supplies which, if unpaid, might by law become a lien upon the property of the
Operating Partnership or any Subsidiary; provided, however, that the Operating
Partnership shall not be required to pay or discharge or cause to be paid or
discharged any such tax, assessment, charge or claim whose amount, applicability
or validity is being contested in good faith by appropriate proceedings (Section
1009).
 
     Provision of Financial Information.  The Holders of Debt Securities will be
provided with copies of the annual reports and quarterly reports of the
Operating Partnership. Whether or not the Operating Partnership is
                                       10
<PAGE>   22
 
subject to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act and for so long as any Debt
Securities are outstanding, the Operating Partnership will, to the extent
permitted under the Exchange Act, be required to file with the Commission the
annual reports, quarterly reports and other documents which the Operating
Partnership would have been required to file with the Commission pursuant to
such Section 13 or 15(d) (the "Financial Statements") if the Operating
Partnership were so subject, such documents to be filed with the Commission on
or prior to the respective dates (the "Required Filing Dates") by which the
Operating Partnership would have been required so to file such documents if the
Operating Partnership were so subject. The Operating Partnership will also in
any event (x) within 15 days of each Required Filing Date (i) transmit by mail
to all Holders of Debt Securities, as their names and addresses appear in the
Security Register, without cost to such Holders, copies of the annual reports
and quarterly reports which the Operating Partnership would have been required
to file with the Commission pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act
if the Operating Partnership were subject to such Sections and (ii) file with
the Trustee copies of the annual reports, quarterly reports and other documents
which the Operating Partnership would have been required to file with the
Commission pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act if the Operating
Partnership were subject to such Sections and (y) if filing such documents by
the Operating Partnership with the Commission is not permitted under the
Exchange Act, promptly upon written request and payment of the reasonable cost
of duplication and delivery, supply copies of such documents to any prospective
Holder (Section 1010).
 
     Additional Covenants.  Any additional or different covenants of the
Operating Partnership with respect to any series of Debt Securities will be set
forth in the Prospectus Supplement relating thereto.
 
EVENTS OF DEFAULT, NOTICE AND WAIVER
 
     The Indenture provides that the following events are "Events of Default"
with respect to any series of Debt Securities issued thereunder: (a) default for
30 days in the payment of any installment of interest on any Debt Security of
such series; (b) default in the payment of the principal of (or premium, if any,
on) any Debt Security of such series at its Maturity; (c) default in making any
sinking fund payment as required for any Debt Security of such series; (d)
default in the performance of any other covenant of the Operating Partnership
contained in the Indenture (other than a covenant added to the Indenture solely
for the benefit of a series of Debt Securities issued thereunder other than such
series), such default having continued for 60 days after written notice as
provided in the Indenture; (e) default in the payment of an aggregate principal
amount exceeding $30,000,000 of any recourse indebtedness of the Operating
Partnership, however evidenced, such default having occurred after the
expiration of any applicable grace period and having resulted in the
acceleration of the maturity of such indebtedness, but only if such indebtedness
is not discharged or such acceleration is not rescinded or annulled within 10
days after written notice as provided in the Indenture; (f) certain events of
bankruptcy, insolvency or reorganization, or court appointment of a receiver,
liquidator or trustee of the Operating Partnership or any Significant Subsidiary
or any of their respective property; and (g) any other Event of Default provided
with respect to a particular series of Debt Securities (Section 501).
 
     If an Event of Default under the Indenture with respect to Debt Securities
of any series at the time Outstanding occurs and is continuing, then in every
such case the Trustee or the Holders of not less than 25% in principal amount of
the Outstanding Debt Securities of that series may declare the principal amount
(or, if the Debt Securities of that series of the Original Issue Discount
Securities or Indexed Securities, such portion of the principal amount as may be
specified in the terms thereof) of all of the Debt Securities of that series to
be due and payable immediately by written notice thereof to the Operating
Partnership (and to the Trustee if given by the Holders); provided, that in the
case of an Event of Default described under paragraph (f) of the preceding
paragraph, acceleration is automatic. However, at any time after such
acceleration with respect to Debt Securities of such series has been made, but
before a judgment or decree for payment of the money due has been obtained by
the Trustee, the Holders of not less than a majority in principal amount of
Outstanding Debt Securities of such series may rescind and annul such
acceleration and its consequences if (a) the Operating Partnership shall have
deposited with the Trustee all amounts due otherwise than on account of such
declaration, plus certain fees, expenses, disbursements and advances of the
Trustee and (b) all Events of Default, other than the non-payment of accelerated
principal of the Debt Securities of such series, have been cured or waived as
provided in the Indenture (Section 502). The Indenture also provides that the
Holders of
 
                                       11
<PAGE>   23
 
not less than a majority in principal amount of the Outstanding Debt Securities
of any series may waive any past default with respect to such series and its
consequences, except a default (x) in the payment of the principal of (or
premium, if any) or interest on any Debt Security of such series or (y) in
respect of a covenant or provision contained in the Indenture that cannot be
modified or amended without the consent of the Holder of each Outstanding Debt
Security affected thereby (Section 513).
 
     The Trustee will be prepared to give notice to the Holders of Debt
Securities within 90 days of a default under the Indenture unless such default
has been cured or waived; provided, however, that the Trustee may withhold
notice to the Holders of any series of Debt Securities of any default with
respect to such series (except a default in the payment of the principal of (or
premium, if any) or interest on any Debt Security of such series or in the
payment of any sinking fund installment in respect of any Debt Security of such
series) if a trust committee of Responsible Officers of the Trustee consider
such withholding to be in the interest of such Holders (Section 601).
 
     The Indenture provides that no Holders of Debt Securities of any series may
institute any proceedings, judicial or otherwise, with respect to the Indenture
or for any remedy thereunder, except in the case of failure of the Trustee, for
60 days, to act after it has received a written request to institute proceedings
in respect of an Event of Default from the Holders of not less than 25% in
principal amount of the Outstanding Debt Securities of such series, as well as
an offer of indemnity reasonably satisfactory to it (Section 507). This
provision will not prevent, however, any Holder of Debt Securities from
instituting suit for the enforcement of payment of the principal of (and
premium, if any) and interest on such Debt Securities at the respective due
dates thereof (Section 508).
 
     Subject to provisions in the Indenture relating to its duties in case of
default, the Trustee is under no obligation to exercise any of its rights or
powers under the Indenture at the request of any Holders of any series of Debt
Securities then Outstanding under the Indenture, unless such Holders shall have
offered to the Trustee thereunder reasonable security or indemnity (Section
602). The Holders of not less than a majority in principal amount of the
Outstanding Debt Securities of any series shall have the right to direct the
time, method and place of conducting any proceeding for any remedy available to
the Trustee, or of exercising any trust or power conferred upon the Trustee with
respect to the Debt Securities of such series. However, the Trustee may refuse
to follow any direction which is in conflict with any law or the Indenture,
which may involve the Trustee in personal liability or which may be unduly
prejudicial to the Holders of Debt Securities of such series not joining therein
(Section 512).
 
     Within 120 days after the close of each fiscal year, each of the Operating
Partnership and the Guarantor must deliver to the Trustee a certificate, signed
by one of several specified officers of the Operating Partnership or the
Guarantor, as the case may be, stating whether or not such officer has knowledge
of any default under the Indenture and, if so, specifying each such default and
the nature and status thereof (Section 1011).
 
MODIFICATION OF THE INDENTURE
 
     Modifications and amendments of the Indenture will be permitted to be made
only with the consent of the Holders of not less than a majority in principal
amount of all Outstanding Debt Securities which are affected by such
modification or amendment (voting as one class); provided, however, that no such
modification or amendment may, without the consent of the Holder of each such
Debt Security affected thereby: (a) change the Stated Maturity of the principal
of, or premium (if any) or any installment of interest on, any such Debt
Security; (b) reduce the principal amount of, or the rate or amount of interest
on, or any premium payable on redemption of, any such Debt Security, or reduce
the amount of principal of an Original Issue Discount Security that would be due
and payable upon acceleration of the maturity thereof or that would be provable
in bankruptcy, or adversely affect any right of repayment at the option of the
holder of any such Debt Security; (c) change the Place of Payment, or the coin
or currency, for payment of principal of, premium, if any, or interest on any
such Debt Security; (d) impair the right to institute suit for the enforcement
of any payment on or with respect to any such Debt Security; (e) reduce the
above-stated percentage in principal amount of Outstanding Debt Securities
necessary to modify or amend the Indenture, reduce the percentage of Outstanding
Debt Securities of any series necessary to waive compliance with certain
 
                                       12
<PAGE>   24
 
provisions thereof or certain defaults and consequences thereunder, or to reduce
the quorum or voting requirements set forth in the Indenture; or (f) modify any
of the foregoing provisions or any of the provisions relating to the waiver of
certain past defaults or certain covenants, except to increase the percentage
required to effect such action or to provide that certain other provisions may
not be modified or waived without the consent of the Holder of each Outstanding
Debt Security affected thereby (Section 902).
 
     The Indenture provides that the Holders of not less than a majority in
principal amount of a series of Outstanding Debt Securities have the right to
waive compliance by the Operating Partnership with certain covenants relating to
such series of Debt Securities in the Indenture (Section 1013).
 
     Modifications and amendments of the Indenture will be permitted to be made
by the Operating Partnership and the Guarantor, and the Trustee without the
consent of any Holder of Debt Securities for any of the following purposes: (i)
to evidence the succession of another Person to the Operating Partnership or the
Guarantor as obligor under the Indenture; (ii) to add to the covenants of the
Operating Partnership or the Guarantor for the benefit of the Holders of all or
any series of Debt Securities or to surrender any right or power conferred upon
the Operating Partnership in the Indenture; (iii) to add Events of Default for
the benefit of the Holders of all or any series of Debt Securities; (iv) to add
or change any provisions of the Indenture to facilitate the issuance of, or to
liberalize certain terms of, Debt Securities in bearer form, to change or
eliminate any restrictions on payment of the principal of or premium or interest
on Debt Securities, to modify the provisions relating to global Debt Securities,
or to permit or facilitate the issuance of Debt Securities in uncertificated
form, provided that such action shall not adversely affect the interests of the
Holders of the Debt Securities of any series in any material respect; (v) to
change or eliminate any provisions of the Indenture, provided that any such
change or elimination shall become effective only when there are no Debt
Securities Outstanding of any series created prior thereto which are entitled to
the benefit of such provision or such amendment shall not apply to any then
Outstanding Debt Security; (vi) to secure the Debt Securities; (vii) to
establish the form or terms of Debt Securities of any series; (viii) to provide
for the acceptance of appointment by a successor Trustee or facilitate the
administration of the trusts under the Indenture by more than one Trustee; (ix)
to cure any ambiguity, defect or inconsistency in the Indenture, provided that
such action shall not adversely affect the interests of Holders of Debt
Securities of any series in any material respect; or (x) to supplement any of
the provisions of the Indenture to the extent necessary to permit or facilitate
defeasance and discharge of any series of such Debt Securities, provided that
such action shall not adversely affect the interests of the Holders of the Debt
Securities of any series in any material respect (Section 901).
 
     The Indenture provides that in determining whether the Holders of the
requisite principal amount of the Outstanding Debt Securities of a series have
given any request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent or waiver
thereunder or whether a quorum is present at a meeting of Holders of Debt
Securities, (i) the principal amount of an Original Issue Discount Security that
shall be deemed to be Outstanding shall be the amount of the principal thereof
that would be due and payable as of the date of such determination upon
acceleration of the maturity thereof, (ii) the principal amount of a Debt
Security denominated in a foreign currency that shall be deemed Outstanding
shall be the U.S. dollar equivalent, determined on the issue date for such Debt
Security, of the principal amount (or, in the case of an Original Issue Discount
Security, the U.S. dollar equivalent on the issue date of such Debt Security of
the amount determined as provided in (i) above) of such Debt Security, (iii) the
principal amount of an Indexed Security that shall be deemed Outstanding shall
be the principal face amount of such Indexed Security at original issuance,
unless otherwise provided with respect to such Indexed Security pursuant to the
Indenture, and (iv) Debt Securities owned by the Operating Partnership or any
other obligor upon the Debt Securities or any affiliate of the Operating
Partnership or of such other obligor shall be disregarded (Section 101).
 
     The Indenture contains provisions for convening meetings of the Holders of
Debt Securities of a series issuable, in whole or in part, as Bearer Securities
(Section 1501). A meeting will be permitted to be called at any time by the
Trustee, and also, upon request, by the Operating Partnership or the Holders of
at least 10% in principal amount of the Outstanding Debt Securities of such
series, in any such case upon notice given as provided in the Indenture (Section
1502). Except for any consent that must be given by the Holder of each Debt
Security affected by certain modifications and amendments of the Indenture, any
resolution presented at
                                       13
<PAGE>   25
 
a meeting or adjourned meeting duly reconvened at which a quorum is present will
be permitted to be adopted by the affirmative vote of the Holders of a majority
in principal amount of the Outstanding Debt Securities of that series; provided,
however, that, except as referred to above, any resolution with respect to any
request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent, waiver or other
action that may be made, given or taken by the Holders of a specified percentage
in principal amount of the Outstanding Debt Securities of a series may be
adopted at a meeting at which a quorum is present by the affirmative vote of the
Holders of such specified percentage in principal amount of the Outstanding Debt
Securities of that series. Any resolution passed or decision taken at any
meeting of Holders of Debt Securities of any series duly held in accordance with
the Indenture will be binding on all Holders of Debt Securities of that series.
The quorum at any meeting called to adopt a resolution, and at any reconvened
meeting, will be Persons holding or representing a majority in principal amount
of the Outstanding Debt Securities of a series; provided, however, that if any
action is to be taken at such meeting with respect to any request, demand,
authorization, direction, notice, consent, waiver or other action which may be
made, given or taken by the Holders of not less than a specified percentage in
principal amount of the Outstanding Debt Securities of a series, then with
respect to such action (and only such action) the Persons holding or
representing such specified percentage in principal amount of the Outstanding
Debt Securities of such series will constitute a quorum (Section 1504).
 
     Notwithstanding the foregoing provisions, if any action is to be taken at a
meeting of Holders of Debt Securities of any series with respect to any request,
demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent, waiver or other action that
the Indenture expressly provides may be made, given or taken by the Holders of a
specified percentage in principal amount of all Outstanding Debt Securities
affected thereby, or of the Holders of such series and one or more additional
series: (i) there shall be no minimum quorum requirement for such meeting and
(ii) the principal amount of the Outstanding Debt Securities of such series that
vote in favor of such request, demand, authorization, direction, notice,
consent, waiver or other action shall be taken into account in determining
whether such request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent, waiver
or other action has been made, given or taken under the Indenture (Section
1504).
 
DISCHARGE
 
     The Operating Partnership may discharge certain obligations to Holders of
any series of Debt Securities that have not already been delivered to the
Trustee for cancellation and that either have become due and payable or will
become due and payable within one year (or scheduled for redemption within one
year) by irrevocably depositing with the Trustee, in trust, funds in an amount
sufficient to pay the entire indebtedness on such Debt Securities in respect of
principal (and premium, if any) and interest to the date of such deposit (if
such Debt Securities have become due and payable) or to the Stated Maturity or
Redemption Date, as the case may be (Section 401).
 
DEFEASANCE AND COVENANT DEFEASANCE
 
     The Indenture provides that, if the provisions of Article Fourteen are made
applicable to the Debt Securities of or within any series pursuant to Section
301 of the Indenture, the Operating Partnership or the Guarantor may elect
either (a) to defease and be discharged from any and all obligations with
respect to such Debt Securities (except for the obligation to pay Additional
Amounts, if any, upon the occurrence of certain events of tax, assessment or
governmental charge with respect to payments on such Debt Securities and the
obligations to register the transfer or exchange of such Debt Securities, to
replace temporary or mutilated, destroyed, lost or stolen Debt Securities, to
maintain an office or agency in respect of such Debt Securities and to hold
moneys for payment in trust) ("defeasance") (Section 1402) or (b) to be released
from its obligations with respect to such Debt Securities under Sections 1006 to
1010, inclusive, of the Indenture (including the restrictions described under
"-- Certain Covenants" above) and its obligations with respect to any other
covenant, and any omission to comply with such obligations shall not constitute
a default or an Event of Default with respect to such Debt Securities ("covenant
defeasance") (Section 1403), in either case upon the irrevocable deposit by the
Operating Partnership or the Guarantor, as the case may be, with the Trustee, in
trust, of an amount, in such currency or currencies, currency unit or units or
composite currency or currencies in which such Debt Securities are payable at
Stated Maturity, or Government Obligations (as defined below),
 
                                       14
<PAGE>   26
 
or both, applicable to such Debt Securities which through the scheduled payment
of principal and interest in accordance with their terms will provide money in
an amount sufficient to pay the principal of (and premium, if any) and interest
on such Debt Securities, and any mandatory sinking fund or analogous payments
thereon, on the scheduled due dates therefor (Section 1404).
 
     Such a trust will only be permitted to be established if, among other
things, the Operating Partnership or the Guarantor, as the case may be, has
delivered to the Trustee an Opinion of Counsel (as specified in the Indenture)
to the effect that the Holders of such Debt Securities will not recognize
income, gain or loss for U.S. federal income tax purposes as a result of such
defeasance or covenant defeasance and will be subject to U.S. federal income tax
on the same amounts, in the same manner and at the same times as would have been
the case if such defeasance or covenant defeasance had not occurred, and such
Opinion of Counsel, in the case of defeasance, must refer to and be based upon a
ruling of the Internal Revenue Service or a change in applicable United States
federal income tax law occurring after the date of the Indenture (Section 1404).
 
     "Government Obligations" means securities which are (i) direct obligations
of the United States of America or the government which issued the foreign
currency in which the Debt Securities of a particular series are payable, for
the payment of which its full faith and credit is pledged or (ii) obligations of
a person controlled or supervised by and acting as an agency or instrumentality
of the United States of America or such government which issued the foreign
currency in which the Debt Securities of such series are payable, the payment of
which is unconditionally guaranteed as a full faith and credit obligation by the
United States of America or such other government, which, in either case, are
not callable or redeemable at the option of the issuer thereof, and shall also
include a depository receipt issued by a bank or trust company as custodian with
respect to any such Government Obligations or a specific payment of interest on
or principal of any such Government Obligations held by such custodian for the
account of the holder of a depository receipt, provided that (except as required
by law) such custodian is not authorized to make any deduction from the amount
payable to the holder of such depository receipt from any amount received by the
custodian in respect of the Government Obligation or the specific payment of
interest on or principal of the Government Obligation evidenced by such
depository receipt (Section 101).
 
     Unless otherwise provided in the applicable Prospectus Supplement, if after
the Operating Partnership or the Guarantor, as the case may be, has deposited
funds or Government Obligations to effect defeasance or covenant defeasance with
respect to Debt Securities of any series, (a) the Holder of a Debt Security of
such series is entitled to, and does, elect pursuant to the Indenture or the
terms of such Debt Security to receive payment in a currency, currency unit or
composite currency other than that in which such deposit has been made in
respect of such Debt Security, or (b) a Conversion Event (as defined below)
occurs in respect of the currency, currency unit or composite currency in which
such deposit has been made, the indebtedness represented by such Debt Security
shall be deemed to have been, and will be, fully discharged and satisfied
through the payment of the principal of (and premium, if any) and interest on
such Debt Security as they become due out of the proceeds yielded by converting
the amount so deposited in respect of such Debt Security into a currency,
currency unit or composite currency in which such Debt Security becomes payable
as a result of such election or such Conversion Event based on the applicable
market exchange rate (Section 1405). "Conversion Event" means the cessation of
use of (i) a currency, currency unit or composite currency both by the
government of the country which issued such currency and for the settlement of
transactions by a central bank or other public institutions of or within the
international banking community, (ii) the ECU both within the European Monetary
System and for the settlement of transactions by public institutions of or
within the European Community or (iii) any currency unit (or composite currency)
other than the ECU for the purposes for which it was established (Section 101).
Unless otherwise provided in the applicable Prospectus Supplement, all payments
of principal of (and premium, if any) and interest on any Debt Security that is
payable in a foreign currency that ceases to be used by its government of
issuance shall be made in U.S. dollars.
 
     In the event the Operating Partnership or the Guarantor effects covenant
defeasance with respect to any Debt Securities and such Debt Securities are
declared due and payable because of the occurrence of any Event of Default other
than the Event of Default described in clause (d) under "-- Events of Default,
Notice and Waiver" with respect to Sections 1006 to 1010, inclusive, of the
Indenture (which sections would no
                                       15
<PAGE>   27
 
longer be applicable to such Debt Securities) or described in clause (g) under
"-- Events of Default, Notice and Waiver" with respect to any other covenant as
to which there has been covenant defeasance, the amount in such currency,
currency unit or composite currency in which such Debt Securities are payable,
and Government Obligations on deposit with the Trustee, will be sufficient to
pay amounts due on such Debt Securities at the time of their Stated Maturity but
may not be sufficient to pay amounts due on such Debt Securities at the time of
the acceleration resulting from such Event of Default. However, the Operating
Partnership would remain liable to make payment of such amounts due at the time
of acceleration.
 
     The applicable Prospectus Supplement may further describe the provisions,
if any, permitting such defeasance or covenant defeasance, including any
modifications to the provisions described above with respect to the Debt
Securities of or within a particular series.
 
THE GUARANTEE
 
     The Indenture provides that SPG, LP will, and as further set forth in
detail in the applicable Prospectus Supplement, guarantee (the "Guarantee") the
due and punctual payment of the principal of, premium, if any, interest on, and
any other amounts payable with respect to, the Debt Securities, when and as the
same shall become due and payable, whether at a maturity date, on redemption, by
declaration of acceleration or otherwise in accordance with the terms of the
Debt Securities and the Indenture (Section 1701). The Indenture provides that
(i) the Trustee may exercise its rights thereunder on behalf of the Holders and
(ii) SPG, LP shall covenant that it shall take no action which would cause the
Operating Partnership to violate any covenant, agreement or any other condition
thereunder (Section 1705). The Guarantee will terminate upon the consummation of
the reorganizational transactions pursuant to which the Operating Partnership is
expected to own directly all of the assets and partnership interest then owned
by SPG, LP (Section 1706). However, there can be no assurance that such
reorganizational transactions will be so effected. See "The Operating
Partnership." No partner (whether limited or general, including the Company) of
SPG, LP will have any obligation for any obligations of SPG, LP under the
Guarantee (Section 1707).
 
     In the absence of the Guarantee, Holders of the Debt Securities will have
no claims, with regards to any payments in connection with the Debt Securities
against the assets of SPG, LP or the assets of any other Subsidiary of the
Operating Partnership. Any such claim that such Holders may make will have to be
made indirectly through the equity interest that the Operating Partnership has
in SPG, LP (or other Subsidiaries), and will thus be structurally subordinated
to the claims of creditors of SPG, LP (or other Subsidiaries). As a result of
the Guarantee, Holders of the Debt Securities, upon exercising their rights with
respect to the Guarantee against SPG, LP, will be considered creditors of SPG,
LP and their claims will rank pari passu with those of unsecured and
unsubordinated creditors of SPG, LP and will not be structurally subordinated to
such creditors.
 
MISCELLANEOUS
 
     No Conversion Rights.  The Debt Securities will not be convertible into or
exchangeable for any capital stock of the Company or equity interest in the
Operating Partnership.
 
     Global Securities.  The Debt Securities of a series may be issued in whole
or in part in the form of one or more global securities (the "Global
Securities") that will be deposited with, or on behalf of, a depositary (the
"Depositary") identified in the applicable Prospectus Supplement relating to
such series. Global Securities may be issued in either registered or bearer form
and in either temporary or permanent form. The specific terms of the depositary
arrangement with respect to a series of Debt Securities will be described in the
applicable Prospectus Supplement relating to such series.
 
                              PLAN OF DISTRIBUTION
 
     The Operating Partnership may sell the Debt Securities to or through
underwriters, and also may sell the Debt Securities directly to one or more
other purchasers or through agents. The distribution of the Debt Securities may
be effected from time to time in one or more transactions at a fixed price or
prices, which may be changed, or at market prices prevailing at the time of
sale, at prices related to such prevailing market prices or at negotiated
prices.
                                       16
<PAGE>   28
 
     The Prospectus Supplement will set forth terms of the offering of the Debt
Securities, including (i) the name of any underwriters or agents with whom the
Operating Partnership has entered into arrangements with respect to the sale or
issuance of Debt Securities, (ii) the initial public offering or purchase price
of the Debt Securities, (iii) any underwriting discounts, commissions and other
items constituting underwriter's compensation from the Operating Partnership and
any other discounts, concessions or commissions allowed or reallowed or paid by
any underwriters to other dealers, (iv) any commissions paid to any agents and
(v) the net proceeds to the Operating Partnership. In connection with the sale
of Debt Securities, underwriters may receive compensation from the Operating
Partnership or from purchasers of Debt Securities, for whom they may act as
agents, in the form of discounts, concessions or commissions. Underwriters may
sell Debt Securities to or through dealers, and such dealers may receive
compensation in the form of discounts, concessions or commissions from the
underwriters or commissions from the purchasers for whom they may act as agents.
Underwriters, dealers and agents that participate in the distribution of Debt
Securities may be deemed to be underwriters, and any discounts or commissions
they receive from the Operating Partnership, and any profit on the resale of
Debt Securities they realize, may be deemed to be underwriting discounts and
commissions under the Securities Act.
 
     Under agreements the Operating Partnership may enter into, underwriters,
dealers and agents who participate in the distribution of Debt Securities may be
entitled to indemnification by the Operating Partnership against certain
liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act.
 
     Underwriters, dealers and agents may engage in transactions with, or
perform services for, or be customers of, the Operating Partnership in the
ordinary course of business.
 
     Unless otherwise set forth in the Prospectus Supplement relating to the
issuance of Debt Securities, the obligations of the underwriters to purchase
such Debt Securities will be subject to certain conditions precedent and each of
the underwriters with respect to such Debt Securities will be obligated to
purchase all of the Debt Securities allocated to it if any such Debt Securities
are purchased. Any initial public offering price and any discounts or
concessions allowed or reallowed or paid to dealers may be changed from time to
time.
 
     If so indicated in the applicable Prospectus Supplement, the Operating
Partnership will authorize underwriters or other persons acting as the Operating
Partnership's agents to solicit offers by certain institutions to purchase Debt
Securities from the Operating Partnership pursuant to contracts providing for
payment and delivery on a future date. Institutions with which such contracts
may be made include commercial and savings banks, insurance companies, pension
funds, investment companies, educational and charitable institutions and others,
but in all cases such institutions must be approved by the Operating
Partnership. The obligations of any purchaser under any such contract will be
subject only to the condition that the purchase of the Debt Securities shall not
at any time of delivery be prohibited under the laws of the jurisdiction to
which such purchaser is subject. The underwriters and such other agents will not
have any responsibility in respect of the validity or performance of such
contracts.
 
                                 LEGAL MATTERS
 
     The validity of each issue of the Debt Securities will be passed upon for
the Operating Partnership by Baker & Daniels, Indianapolis, Indiana. Baker &
Daniels will also pass upon certain tax matters. Rogers & Wells, New York, New
York, will act as counsel to any underwriters, dealers or agents.
 
                                    EXPERTS
 
     The audited financial statements and schedules incorporated by reference in
the Registration Statement of which this Prospectus is a part have been audited
by Arthur Andersen LLP, independent public accountants, as indicated in their
reports with respect thereto, and are incorporated by reference herein in
reliance upon the authority of said firm as experts in giving said reports.
 
                                       17
<PAGE>   29
 
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                                  $500,000,000
 
                           SIMON PROPERTY GROUP, L.P.
 
          $250,000,000            % NOTES DUE FEBRUARY         , 2004
 
          $250,000,000            % NOTES DUE FEBRUARY         , 2009
 
                ------------------------------------------------
 
                             PROSPECTUS SUPPLEMENT
                ------------------------------------------------
 
                              MERRILL LYNCH & CO.
                             CHASE SECURITIES INC.
                                LEHMAN BROTHERS
                               J.P. MORGAN & CO.
                           MORGAN STANLEY DEAN WITTER
                     NATIONSBANC MONTGOMERY SECURITIES LLC
                              SALOMON SMITH BARNEY
                            WARBURG DILLON READ LLC
 
                               FEBRUARY   , 1999
 
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