ST. PETERSBURG - BayWalk has no future if its owners can't ensure customers' safety, property managers told downtown business owners this week.

The downtown entertainment complex is struggling with a 30 percent occupancy rate, and key to any turnaround is the city's surrender of the public sidewalk that fronts BayWalk, property manager Thomas McGeachy said.

Hours later, members of the International People's Democratic Uhuru Movement demonstrated outside the complex, chanting "No more bailouts for BayWalk."

Proponents on both sides of the debate over whether City Hall should privatize the sidewalk on Second Avenue N made the rounds in recent days, defending their views at coffeehouses and meetings across downtown.

Their speeches all ended with similar pleas to round up as many supporters as possible ahead of the City Council's final vote on the issue Thursday, in what could be one of the most impassioned meetings city officials have seen in months.

Mayor Rick Baker and his staff think giving the sidewalk to BayWalk owners will help address the public safety concerns that have helped chase customers away. They've also agreed to spend $700,000 on security, sidewalks and other improvements around the financially troubled complex.

Business leaders are pushing hard for the sidewalk giveaway.

BayWalk's occupancy rate is at an all-time low, McGeachy said, and it could take at least six months before new tenants open their doors. If the sidewalk stays public, he warned, retaining and recruiting tenants could prove impossible.

"If the vacation is not approved, we really just don't know what the future of BayWalk will be," McGeachy, of Ciminelli Real Estate Services, said during a Downtown Business Association meeting.

Meanwhile, Muvico Entertainment has backed down from its longtime threats to leave BayWalk. Muvico said it will renovate its theaters - if the city cedes the sidewalk. The $750,000 makeover includes two restaurant and lounge balcony areas for patrons 21 and older and an updated IMAX theater.

Those opposed to the sidewalk measure argue the city would violate constitutionally protected free speech rights if it privatizes a public area known for antiwar demonstrations.

"Those are the rights that this country was founded on," said Glenn Katon, senior attorney with the American Civil Liberties Union of Florida. "We are very much against this."

Both sides insist the sidewalk vote will have lasting implications on downtown's future.

If the public sidewalk is turned over to BayWalk owners, loiters and protesters will likely be banned from the center, a move that would eliminate one of the city's most popular meeting areas for teenagers and free speech activists. Opponents also fear the vote would establish a precedent for city officials to remove demonstrators from other public land.

If the sidewalk remains public, BayWalk owners say they will likely call off a deal to pump $6 million in improvements and marketing into the faltering restaurant and retail venue once credited for reviving downtown.

Ciminelli Real Estate Services has made many changes to BayWalk since they took over the property this year.

Dozens of new security cameras have been added throughout the complex and the city was asked to fence off dark and secluded areas in the adjoining parking garage. Plans to repair BayWalk's escalators are in the works, as are new landscaping, lighting and paint.

Managers are pursuing local restaurateurs to occupy the center's second floor.

"The sidewalk is the last remaining obstacle," McGeachy said.

Cristina Silva can be reached at (727) 893-8846 or csilva@sptimes.com.