NEW YORK CITY-Add the Blackstone Group to the list of potentialsuitors for Australia-based Centro Properties Group, owner of 600shopping centers in the US. The Wall Street Journalreported that the private equity giant has submitted an indicativebid for Centro, which is soliciting buyout offers. A Blackstonespokesman did not return GlobeSt.com’s calls for comment bydeadline Wednesday afternoon.

Blackstone’s reported interest in Centro provides furtherevidence that the company is ramping up its commercial real estateinvestment activity here and abroad, 21 months after CEO StephenSchwarzman advised a Japan Society audience in New York City to“keep away from real estate for now.” In October, Blackstone strucka $1-billion deal for 180 ProLogis industrialproperties covering more than 20 million square feetof warehouse property across the US.

Earlier this year, the locally-based private equity giant agreedto buy an 80% stake in a joint venture managed by Denver-basedProLogis, a deal that involves 17 million square feet of USwarehouse space. Blackstone is paying $105 million in that deal andassuming $512 million of debt.