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Jewelry returns to downtown

By MARK ALBRIGHT
Published January 4, 2007

The opening of Ronay Jewelers at the Parkshore Plaza, marks another step in the unexpected rebirth of fine jewelry retailing on St. Petersburg's downtown waterfront.

Beach Drive alone now has three upper-end independent fine jewelry stores - and more rumored on the way - in a four block stretch. A few other artsy speciality shops in the neighborhood include some fine jewelry in their assortment.

The comeback is a far cry from when downtown had more than a dozen jewelry stores before the exodus to the malls.

"It's all because of the revitalization of the downtown economy," said Bruce Watters, chief executive of the jewelry store that bears his name and has been a downtown fixture for 101 years. "A lot of stores moved out once the traffic left downtown. Now we've got lots of traffic."

Credit more browsers drawn by BayWalk, strolling guests at the Renaissance Vinoy Resort and a rising population of affluent, downtown condo owners.

Owned by Jorge Ronay who sold his dozen jewelry stores scattered around Caribbean and Mexican resorts in 2004, Ronay is keeping his other store in the Don CeSar Beach Resort. On Beach Drive, Ronay joins Lithos Jewelry which left St. Pete Beach two years ago for "more visibility" and picked up a third more business. "We're getting some critical mass here now," said Lornie Mueller, co-owner of Lithos which owns its ground floor storefront in a Beach Drive condo.

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Sage advice noticed on a sign at Metropolitan Deluxe, a hip Atlanta lifestyle decor store that closed its two locations in the Tampa Bay area last year:

"Good judgment comes from experience. Experience comes from bad judgment."

* * *

Part of the tyranny of big weddings is browbeating the bridesmaids to buy pricey outfits they will never wear again.

"I personally have three of them in my closet and know people with up to 15," said Christina Lorenzo, 32-year-old head merchant for her mother-in-law's St. Petersburg start-up that's all about giving bridesmaids choices.

Created by Judy Ferrara, a 58-year-old St. Petersburg retail veteran, The Dressing Room at (727 323-7666) offers 60 made-to-order bridesmaid silhouettes from six designers in a by-appointment-only shop in St. Petersburg.

The dresses are designed to be worn over and over at other occasions such as parties, receptions and, yes, other weddings.

"Our outfits are classic or contemporary, but they are pouf, spangle, embellishment and dazzle-free," said Ferrara. "Once the bride selects a color, style or fabric for the wedding party, we customize garments to each bridesmaid's preference.

That means, different skirt lengths, waist treatments and tops that could be halter, strapless or spaghetti strap.

Sounds like the start of a trend.

Prices: $220 to $375.

* * *

Beall's Inc., the retailer that has grown into Bradenton's largest private employer, has bought the old Tropicana Products citrus juice corporate headquarters there for $10.3-million.

"We've been bursting at the seams and had been planning to build our own new headquarters," said Steve Knopik, chief executive of the 560-store retailer that had $1.2-billion in revenues in fiscal 2005. "Then we came across this building that's fully wired and set up for immediate move-in. Once (Tropicana's owners at Pepsico Inc.) moved the headquarters (to Chicago in 2004) they were out of here so quickly they left all the furniture."

Mark Albright can be reached at albright@sptimes.com or (727)893-8252.

[Last modified January 3, 2007, 23:15:42]