SOUTHINGTON — Construction crews are working to finish a North Main Street bank building that replaces Renaldo’s Pizza, the restaurant heavily damaged in a 2016 fire.

Ion Bank will occupy the front portion of the building with retail space in the back. The bank bought the property at 376 N. Main St. for $400,000 last year, according to town records.

The burned-out property sat for years as owners and the former pizza parlor operator worked through insurance claims and a legal dispute between each other.

Renaldo’s founders Renaldo Riccitelli founded the pizza restaurant in the 1970s. He sold the business to Chris Quiroga and Eddie Adamses in 2001.

Riccitelli’s lawyer, Brian Zaccagnino, said he’s not involved in the bank construction but saw development moving forward.

“They own it now, they’re developing it,”  Zaccagnino said.

Ion Bank has locations in Connecticut and New Jersey. Nearby branches include Cheshire, Meriden and Waterbury.

The bank announced on its website that the branch will be open this year and has been posting pictures of the building’s progress. Bank officials couldn’t be reached for comment Friday on when a grand opening might take place.

Construction started in October.

The former pizza restaurant as well as a house on the property were demolished to make way for the new bank building.

Lou Perillo, the town’s economic development coordinator, said the expansion of a regional bank into Southington bodes well for the town’s economic health and would likely have a multiplier effect in the town’s economy.

A year after the fire on North Main Street, Quiroga moved the restaurant to 350 Queen St. where he reopened Renaldo’s Apizza and Catering.

It’s unclear if Quiroga is still involved in the restaurant. He couldn’t be reached for comment Friday and the restaurant’s website said it was under new management. No one at the restaurant could be reached for comment.

jbuchanan@record-journal.com203-317-2230Twitter: @JBuchananRJ