Newly elected Lake Anne condominium association president George Hadjikyriakou is looking to help improve the historic community, built in the 1960s, that’s in need of tens of millions of dollars in repairs.

His wife, Vicky, and he own Kalypso’s Sports Tavern at Lake Anne Plaza, and he became president of the Lake Anne of Reston Condominium Association following an Oct. 27 election. George Hadjikyriakou discussed the community’s needs with Reston Now.

The condomonium association has been embroiled in politics and other issues for more than a year.

“My priorities are to first and foremost establish a more open and transparent organization, follow our bylaws and the Virginia Condo Act, and to focus on the infrastructure repairs noted in the County’s report,” he wrote in an email, noting that the board of directors will engage members on decisions regarding property owned by all of its members.

In a report prepared for the county, architectural firm Samaha Associates previously identified an extensive list of repairs at Lake Anne Plaza. The costs to fix the issues amounted to over $37.7 million.

Of that total, nearly $20 million involve high-priority issues that could involve potential safety issues if not promptly addressed, according to the 109-page report. Some of those items include:

• Ponding water issues on several buildings’ roofs that need replacement, including the Market-Deli building, where mold has accumulated on top. It hasn’t been replaced in over 20 years, based on documentation the county collected.
• Replacing elevators in coming years at the 15-story residential building Heron House as they reach the end of their lifespans, which would require nearly $2.9 million
• Over $1.3 million in parking lot issues that involve extensive cracking and potholes.
• Fixing damaged brick, concrete and retaining walls and addressing electrical code violations at a commercial side of Chimney House, which abuts the parking lot and main walkway. And surrounding a water fountain, the main residential-business plaza also has deteriorating balconies.

The election results come as the community has faced aging-infrastructure problems that left tenants without hot water for months earlier this year.

“Our priorities as a community should be to ensure that our neighbors can have consistent heat, air conditioning, hot water, and no more water intrusion to their units causing unhealthy living conditions,”  Hadjikyriakou also wrote.

Lake Anne Plaza was the first village center for Reston and became part of the National Register of Historic Places in 2017, thereby limiting what kind of work can be done there. It continues to be a center for dining, farmers markets and cultural events. Hadjikyriakou noted that the county’s Architectural Review Board and Hunter Mill District Supervisor Walter Alcorn have expressed interest in the community, which could help with additional sources of funding.

Previously, a board of directors for the condo association some 15 or 20 years ago began undertaking the day-to-day property management activities of the community, which Hadjikyriakou believes was a mistake, he wrote. He said by email that he’s looking for directors to remove that responsibility from the board, which  he said should focus on governance instead of daily operations, and shift those duties back to a real property management company.

Hadjikyriakou also wrote one of the initiatives the condo association will seek to do is explore ways to use common areas to help generate revenue.

“We ask that people be patient and give us an opportunity to organize and prioritize the many necessary projects required to make our buildings safe and structurally sound for generations to come,” he wrote.