A year after it was first announced, the historic Union Trust bank building, at 895 Central Avenue in downtown St. Petersburg, is on track to be reborn as J. Fiore’s Contemporary Steakhouse, an upscale steak and seafood restaurant, set to open in mid-2024.

The renovation of the property’s basement, ground floor, and mezzanine has been a major undertaking, requiring substantial planning, design, and construction.

“We are all-hands-on-deck right now,” said St. Pete-based entrepreneur Jim Fiore in a conversation with St. Pete Rising. “The 2,000-square-foot extension of the mezzanine is complete and the HVAC, plumbing, and electric is all being installed as we speak.”

As with any restaurant, what diners will ultimately care most about is the food. But the look of the restaurant — created by Angie Wetzel, the founder and principal of InterLux Interiors — should also draw interest. Wetzel resides in Tampa but has done interior design for hotels, restaurants, private residences, and even luxury yachts around the world.

“For this restaurant, Jim wanted something spectacular, something new and modern and sexy that’s like nothing that’s been done before in Tampa Bay,” Wetzel said in an interview with St. Pete Rising.

Wetzel’s eye-popping design was inspired by Salvador Dali’s iconic surrealist phase, which is no coincidence given that St. Pete is home to the Dali Museum, the largest collection of the artist’s work outside of Spain.  

“I am very inspired by his work — he’s one of my favorite artists,” Wetzel said. “Because we have here in St. Pete one of the biggest collections of his work, it would be a shame if we didn’t tie that into this project.” 

The design for the main dining room includes a showpiece chandelier, of sorts, whose amorphous shape is reminiscent of the melting clocks that appear in several of Dali’s most well-known surrealist paintings, such as the famous “Persistence of Memory.” With undulating shades of blue, the restrooms, meanwhile, give the impression of being underwater, while the ceiling of the basement bar sports shiny, light-reflecting bubbles.

Fiore said he expects the restaurant to open within about six to eight months, a prediction echoed by Wetzel, who said the eatery is on track for a late summer opening. Her part of the design is done and the project has now shifted into an engineering phase.

“I’m very excited to see it come to life,” Wetzel said. “It’s going to be a project that everyone is so proud of. I want people to feel the connection between the city of St. Pete, the Dali Museum, and the restaurant.”

Fiore is enlisting some of the industry’s finest, including an artist who created sculptures for the Cosmopolitan Hotel in Las Vegas, to keep the finished product as close to how it was envisioned.

Fiore is assembling a top-tier team drawing from some of the most talented restaurant professionals from the area. Additionally, he has engaged the expertise of seasoned restaurateur and accomplished attorney, Adam Itzkowitz, appointing him as VP of Operations. With a wealth of experience owning and managing numerous successful establishments, Itzkowitz brings invaluable insight to the project.

The Union Trust bank building was constructed in 1926 during the peak of St. Pete’s first big real estate boom and then later expanded in 1938 and 1967. In 2017, the original 1926 portion of the bank was preserved and blended into the design for Camden Central, a modern apartment complex with retail along Central Avenue and Martin Luther King Jr. Street North.

The bank building became vacant in 1996 when Union Trust's successor, Nation’s Bank, now Bank of America, moved out and proposed to tear down the structure to make way for more parking for its loan processing center across the street.

In 2004, the City of St. Pete designated the structure a historic landmark, saving the former Union Trust building from the wrecking ball.

A year later, developer Jimmy Aviram purchased the site and proposed a $200 million mixed-use project called Arts Village, which would’ve included 600 condominiums and a new home for the Morean Arts Center and Chihuly Collection inside the historic bank building.

However, the market came crashing down in 2008 during the Great Recession and the project, as with many others in town, was canceled.

While Fiore boasts a successful track record as a business owner and real estate developer, his latest venture signals a new chapter as he steps into the realm of restaurant ownership.

Despite not having owned a restaurant previously, Fiore's passion for food and his extensive experience visiting upscale establishments have fueled his determination to create a unique and exceptional culinary experience at J. Fiore’s.

The new steakhouse and seafood restaurant is on track to debut at 895 Central Avenue in downtown St. Pete in mid-2024.