QTS Realty Trust has announced the expiration of the 40-day "go-shop" period and will be acquired by Blackstone Infrastructure Partners and Blackstone Real Estate Income Trust, Inc. as previously announced.

In June QTS announced that it was to be acquired by the investment company for $10 billion. As part of the agreement, the data center firm was granted a 40-day “go-shop” period during which it could actively solicit and consider alternative buyers.

QTS said it actively solicited alternative proposals from potentially interested third parties during this period, but none provided an alternative acquisition proposal by the deadline.

As a result, the Blackstone transaction is now expected to close in the second half of 2021, subject to approval by QTS' stockholders and the satisfaction of other customary closing conditions.

Founded in 2003 and based in Overland Park, Kansas, QTS is a real estate investment trust that owns more than seven million square feet of data center space in 28 locations across North America and Europe. The company went public in 2012 via an IPO on the NY Stock Exchange.

Last year the company opened new facilities in Atlanta and Oregon, and recently announced plans for a further 1 million sq ft facility in Atlanta.

Earlier this month Blackstone formed its latest joint venture with Corporate Office Properties Trust to acquire two data center facilities.