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Despite Funding Controversy, Lyon Park Community Center Set To Reopen This Fall

The Lyon Park Community Center may be open by the end of October, despite some trouble securing a source of funding earlier this summer.

The renovations to the community center are set to wrap up on Oct. 31, but there is always the potential for construction delays, said Jeannette Wick, chair of the Lyon Park Community Center. Wick says she thinks residents will like what they see when the community center reopens.

“The building is absolutely beautiful,” she said.

The Lyon Park Citizen’s Association ran into some legal trouble after seven concerned citizens filed a petition in court against the group’s motion to get a line of credit with Cardinal Bank. Under the agreement with the bank, to get the $600,000 the association might need for renovations, the park was to be used as collateral.

A judge ruled in favor of the petition, saying that LPCA’s line of credit was improperly filed.

The legal problems are all resolved now, Wick said, adding that the association was able to secure a line of credit from First Virginia Community Bank without having to put the park up as collateral.

“They very quickly stepped up to the plates and helped us out,” Wick said.

LPCA is currently using money from fundraising to pay for the renovations, but “once we expend all of our available funds, we’ll have to draw on [the line of credit],” she said.

Fundraising for the community center has been “robust,” according to Wick, and LPCA raised approximately $85,000 for the park in a June fundraising push.

“We did very well with fundraising… people were very generous,” she said.