It can be a lonely stroll through BayWalk, where an entire wing is now empty, but several restaurants are considering moving in, the mall's leasing agent says.

Curtis Rorebeck, a real estate agent with Equity who is trying to lease out the downtown St. Petersburg plaza, said he's in negotiations with several restaurants and night spots.

He said he couldn't name them and they haven't yet committed.

One goal is to make sure BayWalk lands name-brand tenants to persuade people to give the center another shot.

"We've got good activity," Rorebeck said. "We don't just want to be putting people in there to fill space."

At the moment, BayWalk looks desperate for some new life.

In the past few weeks, it lost its last nightclub when Wet Willie's closed.

Not everyone was sad to see the tropical drinks club go. Kevin Dunn, managing director of development coordination for St. Petersburg, said Wet Willie's sometimes played its music so loud that people loitered outside with no intention of visiting the mall's businesses.

Other tenants that have moved out include the restaurant Grille 121 and Being, a housewares store. No shops or restaurants remain in the mall's upstairs eastern wing.

Domenic D'Angelo, an owner of Gratzzi Ristorante, one of the last restaurants still open, said he's eager for BayWalk to land some new eateries. In the past, he could benefit from the "clustering effect," the tendency for restaurateurs to locate near each other and create a restaurant row.

Now, most of BayWalk's restaurant buzz has moved elsewhere.

D'Angelo is hanging on and paying the rent, but recently had to let go an assistant and now finds himself working 16-hour days, he said.

"I'm trying to be optimistic, but it's not easy," he acknowledged.

A firm called CWCapital Asset Management controls BayWalk. It took back the mall in a foreclosure sale.

Ciminelli Real Estate Services of Florida has been managing the center on CWCapital's behalf.

No one from Ciminelli could be reached about BayWalk's plans.

Bruce Rabon, who owns Hurricane Pass Outfitters at BayWalk, said he's seeing some improvements. There seems to be more security officers walking around, fewer kids loitering and prettier landscaping, he said.

Plus, the center has started outdoor concerts on the third Friday of each month in the summer, Rabon said.

"The biggest thing is people don't think we're open," he said.

Reporter Michael Sasso can be reached at (813) 259-7865.