Blackstone is in advanced talks to acquire Retail Opportunity Investments Corp. (ROIC), a San Diego-based shopping center REIT that focuses on the western U.S. and has a market value of $3.4 billion including debt, Reuters reported. A deal could be finalized in the coming weeks.

Reuters reported that Blackstone is likely to prevail over other private equity firms that have expressed interest in acquiring ROIC, including Bain Capital. Earlier this year, Bain Capital’s real estate arm and retail investor 11North Partners formed a partnership to acquire and operate open-air retail centers in North America.

This past summer, Reuters reported that Blackstone was in early-stage talks to buy ROIC. As of Sept. 30, ROIC owned 93 shopping centers spanning about 10.5 million square feet in California, Oregon and Washington. It reported third-quarter 2024 net income of $32.1 million, up from $8.4 million in the corresponding period a year ago.