VIDALIA — Fruit of the Loom expects to soon lease the building the company donated to Vidalia through March 31, with the option to stay longer.

Back in September, Donald Watts, the company’s vice president of distribution, contacted officials with the town about continuing operations.

Vidalia Mayor Buz Craft said at the time town leadership was open to the idea, but it could only happen if the continuation did not interfere with the plans of another, unnamed company interested in the facility.

“It is not going to interfere with the prospective client,” Craft said Thursday. “Fruit of the Loom has been very, very good about talking with us about it. We want to cooperate with them, as well.

“I feel like this deal is good for both sides.”

Craft said Fruit of the Loom has agreed to lease the facility, but he would not provide specifics on how much the company would pay per month.

“We have talked about it, but until we have executed a lease, I don’t want to do that to them or us,” he said.

Craft said he hoped to have the lease signed in the near future.

“The lease is being prepared as we speak,” he said.

Moving past March, Craft said both sides have talked about picking up a month-by-month option for use of the facility.

“The door is open,” Craft said. “It is all premised on the fact that it can’t interfere with our current prospect.”

Due to a confidentiality clause, Craft said he would not release the name or details of the prospective business.

Martin Mills Inc., a subsidiary of Union Underwear Company, announced May 11 it would permanently close Vidalia Appear Fruit of the Loom distribution center and vacate the building by Dec. 31.

The company had 167 employees at the time of the announcement, but said layoffs would start occurring in July.

The company announced plans in June to donate the facility — which was built on city property — to Vidalia.

Company officials said in September, though, it had laid off staff and was down to approximately 100 employees, business was going strong, and Fruit of the Loom wanted to continue to operate the Vidalia plant temporarily.

Vidalia Apparel opened in 1995 and is housed in a 900,000-square-foot building in the Vidalia Industrial Park and distributes Fruit of the Loom’s casual wear and intimate apparel product lines.

In 2014, the company laid off 150 workers in a permanent reduction of its workforce.