 |
||||||||
 |
||||||||
|
||||||||
|
BayWalk evokes thoughts of retail Darwinism
By WAVENEY ANN MOORE © St. Petersburg Times, published November 12, 2000 ST. PETERSBURG -- With the new kid on the block grabbing all the attention, old-timers are eyeing the arrival of BayWalk with diverging sentiments of optimism and apprehension. There is hope that the posh development, with a modern, chandelier-decorated 20-screen movie theater as its anchor, will drum up profits for downtown neighbors. And to welcome an anticipated burst of nightlife, there is talk of expanded store hours and upgraded restaurant menus. On the other hand, some merchants remain cautious, recalling similar hopes -- still unfulfilled -- pinned to the 1998 arrival of Major League Baseball. Away from downtown, Tyrone Square Mall, ParkSide in Pinellas Park and WestShore Plaza in Tampa have been sprucing up their images and touting their wares. The new BayWalk complex should pose little threat, they say. Craig Sher, president and CEO of Sembler Co., the developer of BayWalk, says St. Petersburg's downtown businesses have nothing to fear. "BayWalk is just part of the downtown area, so whatever we can do to bring in millions of visitors will benefit everyone, the merchants at The Pier, Beach Drive, Central Avenue. We're not an island. We're just one block of downtown. ... We've seen that in Centro Ybor," said Sher, referring to the new shopping and entertainment center in Tampa's Ybor City. "The restaurant and retail establishments in Ybor City have had a dramatic increase in business" because of their proximity to Centro Ybor, he added. Merchants sandwiched between BayWalk to the east and the Dome District to the west hope Sher's predictions prove correct. At the same time, though, Gallery Central, a self-named three-block area on Central Avenue, between Fifth and Eighth streets, is envious of the money City Hall has poured into BayWalk. "The city is spending money to improve and landscape that area as well as assisting in marketing efforts. I think it is time the city focus some energy and dollars on the area between the Dome and BayWalk," Mike Shapiro, co-owner of Shapiro Studio & Gallery, complained in a Sept. 20 letter to Mayor David Fischer. Gallery Central, an eclectic mix of antique shops, galleries, art studios, clothing stores, restaurants and other businesses, is asking for "white twinkle lights" to hang in its oak trees, planters for its sidewalks and a rerouting of the downtown trolley to go through the district. "We just want the city to help us dress it up a little bit," Shapiro's wife, Susan, said recently. Fischer said he is willing to discuss the requests. "We are anxious for that area to develop and it seems to be doing very well. BayWalk will bring more people to downtown and we'll want them to spread out," the mayor said. Those also are Shapiro's hopes for the district he and neighboring business owners conceived early last year to take advantage of the NCCA Final Four that was played at Tropicana Field that March. "We're hopeful that what BayWalk will do is bring a lot of people downtown who have never been downtown before and that they will venture beyond the walls of BayWalk," Shapiro said of the Mediterranean-style plaza. Meanwhile, at The Pier, owned by the city, preparations are under way to welcome BayWalk. New light poles and awnings have been installed, bright banners are being hung and fresh landscaping planted. There also will be new Christmas decorations sporting a nautical theme. "We just want to be ready. We want to help BayWalk succeed," Bill Griffith, general manager of The Pier, said. "The bottom line is, we think we will complement one another. Their draw will be, I believe, local-oriented, versus The Pier, which is more tourist-oriented," he said. "We see, at least at the beginning, at least a slight drop in our food and beverage sales because there will be so much more. But of course we have the venue, the water, the location. Between the two, we're going to draw even more people," said Griffith, who added that The Pier and BayWalk will work together to promote some events. Griffith does have a couple of concerns. He is worried that the once-unobscured view of The Pier seen by drivers along Second Avenue N has been blocked by the tall palm trees in an island in front of BayWalk's main entrance. But that problem can be overcome with proper signs, Griffith said. "The main thing is that The Pier is still identified from the interstate," he said. Nearby, owners of Beach Drive's upscale shops are considering staying open later to take advantage of the crowds BayWalk is expected to draw. "It's not going to hurt us at all," Bob Serata, co-president of the Beach Drive and Downtown Business Association (the Quarter), said of the area's new neighbor. "I think it's going to help us. I think we're going to work hand in hand together. To me, competing areas for us are St. Armand's and Hyde Park," he said, adding that the Beach Drive business district has little in common with BayWalk. "The difference I see is that we will always have the waterfront, Beach Drive and the quaint shops. We don't have any chain shops. We offer personalized service. ... You're not going to find this in a mall," Serata said. Managers at nearby malls, though keeping an eye on BayWalk, similarly set themselves apart. "I think we both have our own niche in the marketplace. I think we have a different clientele," said Susan Robertson, marketing director for ParkSide in Pinellas Park off U.S. 19. Furthermore, said Ms. Robertson, ParkSide, which began renovations in 1997, will have its own new multiscreen theater in the spring. "When they (the movies) open, they are just going to be unbelievable. We will not have the parking issue as much as they will have in downtown, and I think our target market will be a 7- to 10-mile radius," she said. Tyrone Square Mall, with its older movie theater, is hoping to offer patrons other enticements. "Certainly BayWalk's announcement factored into the mall's $10-million expansion and renovation and the simple fact that we are upgrading the mix of stores in the mall," said Scott Ralston, manager of the shopping center. BayWalk is good for St. Petersburg, he said, adding that it is predominantly an entertainment destination, while Tyrone Square Mall, with its 170 retailers, caters to "the power shopper." Over in Tampa, WestShore Plaza opened its $35-million addition Nov. 10. "About 20 percent of our business comes from St. Petersburg, so our St. Petersburg customers are very important to us," said Tom Miles, WestShore's general manager. BayWalk should not hurt Westshore Plaza "over the long haul," he said. "I think there will be some people who will go there initially, but hopefully, it will be a small percent. We should be able to compete. I think it will be a complement." Besides its new stores and expanded food court, Westshore Plaza, which recently unveiled a billboard in St. Petersburg promoting its valet parking and other amenities, has a new 14-screen AMC theater. No renovations are being planned for AMC's older, smaller theaters at Tyrone Square Mall and nearby Crossroads Shopping Center, said Rick King, AMC senior vice president of corporate communication. King conceded that BayWalk's 20-screen Muvico theater, with SurroundSound and stadium seating, could affect AMC's St. Petersburg facilities. "Normally, what we've seen happen when a new megaplex opens in proximity to older theaters, the older theaters suffer," he said. "There is some portion of the audience that prefers the older theaters for convenience or out of habit, but in most cases, the audiences have expressed a strong preference for the megaplexes." David Phillips, vice president of R/C Theatres, the company behind the 16-screen movie complex at ParkSide, is bothered only slightly by the new BayWalk movie complex. "Our concern is that there is a certain peripheral market that could choose our theaters or theirs," Phillips said. However, "Our theater will be nice and so well equipped. It will be superior to what Muvico is building," he said. "I wish them the very best, but almost without fail, when I see a theater built in the downtown revitalization market, it doesn't work. People seem to prefer to go to a movie more in their neighborhood. So our concern is minimal as far as (BayWalk) goes." The same cannot be said for Antonello "Jake" Bertoni, whose Bertoni Italian Restaurant opened in 1997. "I'm pretty sure (the movies) are going to work. ... The movie theatres are going to take away from us at first," he said. "I look at it as I do baseball. (The developers) spent all that money. They don't want the people to go outside. ... Most of the people are going to stay in there. They want to try the new places." Still, Bertoni hopes that businesses surrounding BayWalk eventually will benefit from the good fortune of their new neighbor. Sandi Kott, co-owner of Midtown Sundries, another downtown restaurant, also hopes BayWalk will "spread the wealth." "Yes, I think they're going to take some of our business away, but hopefully, they will draw enough traffic that everyone will win," Ms. Kott said. Midtown Sundries is adding seven dinner entrees and several appetizers and salads, she said. She added that the almost 2-year-old restaurant could have been part of BayWalk. "When we first looked at sites, we talked to the Sembler people about going into their facility, but we decided that we didn't want to do that for a number of reasons," she said. "No. 1, we were anxious to get into business and we knew that we could open our business earlier. And the costs associated with it (BayWalk), we were afraid that instead of having a $5 burger we would have to have an $8 burger. Then we also thought we'll get established and hopefully there will be some overflow traffic." "Only time will tell" how the city's older restaurants will fare, Bertoni said. "Does this town have the power for going out and entertaining to support all of us? If that happens, I'll buy everyone a round of drinks," Bertoni said. "There is a lot of money coming. ... I have to be optimistic. The next few years will determine how much." - Times food critic Chris Sherman contributed to this article.
 © 2006 • All Rights Reserved • Tampa Bay Times
490 First Avenue South • St. Petersburg, FL 33701 • 727-893-8111 
|
From the Times South Pinellas desks |
