Our Beginnings

The Lark Street Merchants Association was formed by John Wagner who owned Waldorf Tuxedo on the corner of Lark and Lancaster Streets beginning in 1965. With the collaboration of Lark Street Business owners, The Lark Street Merchants association founded Larkfest in the 1980’s, a beloved music festival taking place long Lark Street The association took up donations for flowers, benches and lights along Lark Street.

In 1993 the Lark Street Revitalization Committee was formed as a mix of residents, merchants, church officials and neighborhood association reps who all shared a concern about the decline in the health and vitality of Lark Street and its impact on the surrounding neighborhoods. The process that led to the formation of the BID was very much a partnership between the merchants and residents on Lark Street and the residents in the surrounding neighborhoods, it was understood that the health of both were linked. In those early days, neighborhood residents were participants in BID committees and worked together to achieve the vision of revitalization.

The Lark Street Revitalization Committee’s “Report to the Community”, dated April 18, 1995, outlined strengths and weakness of Lark Street and summarized the findings and recommendations of four subcommittees charged with various areas: Streetscape/Beautification; Business Mix and Recruitment; Quality of Life; Parking, Access and Transportation. The Lark Street Neighborhood Business Management Association better know as the BID formed officially in 1996.

(Photo from Times Union Archive here)