Real estate firm says it's actively trying to sell BayWalk complex in St. Petersburg

We are excited for the opportunity to hlep find the buyer best able to execute a turnaround strategy for the complex," Mr. Milano said. "A return to entrepreneurial ownership could be an excellent fit, and the revitalization of downtown St. Petersburg gives us confidence that we can find a quality buyer."

As the sales effort gets underway, Equity Group will continue to focus on securing tenants for the property, while Ciminelli Real Estate Services continues as the property manager

I suppose I'm a bit nostalgic when it comes to BayWalk because the controversial vote(s) to vacate the sidewalk of the property came just weeks after this reporter began working for CL, and those two votes to ultimately give away public property, advocated by former Mayor Rick Baker because theoretically it would enhance the viability of the property that never happened, is something that those Council members who voted to give away the land have to live with.

Those five members who voted to vacate the sidewalk were: Herb Polson, Bill Dudley, Jim Kennedy, Jamie Bennett and Karl Nurse.

If you'll recall, retailers had said that a significant reason why traffic was down at the mall was because of the frequent protests held condemning the Iraq war and other issues on the 2nd Avenue N sidewalk leading into the complex.  At one point, the political activist group St. Pete for Peace, the leader of many of those protests, announced that they would cease such protests for a year as a show of good faith, as long as the council opted not to give away the piece of land.  It didn't matter, as the Council initially deadlocked at 4-4 before a 2nd vote was held to get the desired decision of the Baker administration.

BayWalk's owners had promised to pump $6 million in improvements into the center if given the sidewalk.  It didn't exactly turn out that way.