Chiquita Brands International, Charlotte's newest corporate suitor, is closing in on signing for office space in the NASCAR Plaza, CEO Fernando Aguirre told the Observer on Wednesday.
Aguirre said the Chiquita brand will be prominently featured at the top of the building. "We're going to have Chiquita branding on the building," he said. "It's going to be on the top, as well as on the lower floors."
Chiquita is planning to lease about five or six floors in the building, which had struggled to attract tenants since it opened adjoining the NASCAR Hall of Fame. Last year, NASCAR Plaza faced foreclosure, though those proceedings were eventually stopped.
The Observer will have a full Q&A with Aguirre later in the week. We talked about Chiquita's plans for Charlotte, Aguirre's fascination with Twitter, worker rights, the company's troubled history in Colombia and the company's diversification to other fruits and salads.
On Monday, Charlotte City Council approved part of the local incentive package set to compensate the company for its move to Charlote. Altogether, Chiquita is in line for more than $22 million in state and local incentives, provided it meets jobs and investment targets.