Joyous Ribbon-Cutting Ceremony Held at Paragon Founders Row, June 26

And now! ….

Cue the Dolby Atmos Immersive Surround Sound. 

Hear this! 

Finally, the Little City’s big screen, luxury movie theater dreams have come true! 

With a bevy of City officials and community leaders, representatives and employees of Paragon Theaters, and Falls Church Chamber of Commerce members on hand, a joyous ribbon-cutting ceremony was held the evening of June 26 inside one of Paragon Founders Row’s Axis15 Extreme auditoriums showcasing a 70-foot screen with 4K Laser Projection, Dolby Atmos Immersive Surround Sound, Lux Box Seating and a full “chef-driven” menu of craft cuisine, cocktails, drinks and, of course popcorn theater-goers can order – simply by QR code – delivered right to their Zero Gravity Recliner seats. 

The long-anticipated Grand Opening of the 7-screen, 600-seat, newly-built movie complex nestled within the apartment buildings at 110 Founders Ave. took place indoors, not only to show off the theaters’ high-tech bells and whistles, but owing to the threat of thunderstorms outside. Following the event, VIP attendees were treated to a roaring screening of the new Brad Pitt blockbuster film F1.

Not since 1988, when the State Theatre stopped screening films, has the City of Falls Church had its own neighborhood movie theater. And these newly-built theater spaces – including a lounge and bar – are quite a marvel of design. 

But, it’s been a winding path toward completion as shifting economic winds, the Covid pandemic, supply chain disruptions, the advent of home film streaming, and myriad other challenges have confounded the interested theater-dreaming parties.

The Falls Church Independent spoke to a number of attendees to find out how they felt about this ribbon-cutting ceremony, what they think Paragon Theaters – a Florida-based company with only 6 theaters on the east coast – will bring to the local community, and what they might be looking forward to experiencing at the venue.

Chief Operating Officer (COO) for Paragon Theaters, Brian Hood, was welcoming guests into the theater when I waylaid him for questioning. “Come on in and enjoy!,” he said to attendees. “We have goody bags in your seats.”

Asked how he felt to be cutting the ribbon, finally, Hood said, “Well, we’re excited! We’re excited to bring film to the City of Falls Church and surrounding communities.... It’s been a long time coming. This community deserves a theater. And we felt it deserved the best. So, we have one of the largest screens, if not the largest screen in D.C…. This is a top-notch facility and who deserves it better than this community?”

“Has Falls Church been welcoming?,” we asked. “Oh, absolutely. They’ve been wonderful. Wonderful,” Hood said. “So, we’re excited to be here and just happy to celebrate tonight with a ribbon-cutting and all these dignitaries and VIP’s.”

Former Mayor of Falls Church City, Dave Tarter, told us, “I think it’s an incredible day for Falls Church. You know, for the first time in decades, kids can walk to the movies. I mean this is what small town life is all about, right? So, I’m just so happy it finally came to fruition. It was a long time coming and it took a whole lot of work along the way, but it’s incredible. It’s wonderful.”

Asked if he could ever foresee this happening as mayor, Tarter said, “Absolutely, yeah. I mean that was the idea and the vision, to see this happen. But, there were a lot of moving parts, of course. A lot of great effort has to go into making it happen. But, absolutely. That’s what we wanted. You know the original developer prior to Mill Creek wanted to have a Walgreen’s as the anchor and that just wouldn’t have had the same appeal…. So, this is a big day for the City.”

As a City resident, Tarter also loves seeing the new theaters open. “I love it. I want to have a walkable place. I want to be able to go with my kids to community events, to go to the movie theater together. And to be able to walk? It’s just really incredible.” Tarter can’t wait to bring his family to the movies. “You know, we’re already looking at the schedule to see what’s on tap, and it’s really fun. This is what small town is like. It’s being able to walk, to see your neighbors at events, at the theater. And I think it’s a great day for Falls Church.”

“Well, the day has finally arrived and I am very, very pleased,” said City Council Member David Snyder. “It’s been too long since we had a first-run movie theater in this city. Maybe 50 years or more. So, it’s just a great day. I know that elements of our development are controversial and we continue to work on that, but this is a really wonderful development. So, I’m very happy for everyone involved.”

Council Member Justine Underhill was equally enthusiastic, as the new movie theaters will help the City live up to its potential. “It’s really exciting to see this finally open after so long!,” she said. “It took so much to finally get here. And to have a theater – this is not the first theater, the State Theatre was a movie theater – but to have a theater finally back in Falls Church where we can see a movie in a place we can walk to. And it’s right on the W&OD Trail. The idea that we can bike to a movie is just so amazing. We’ve been talking about the 15 Minute City, and this is now actually making it 15 minutes!…. I’m really excited you can get movies, and dinner and drinks, all right along the [bike path]. So, hopefully we can get people from Arlington and other places – and it’s a workout. So you can do your pilates, get a drink, get some dinner, and then go to the theater.”

For Underhill, the theaters will also foster community. “It’s not just bringing economic development, it’s bringing the community together," she said. And so, you’ll find, there’ll be birthday parties here, etc. And even beyond that, what’s great is that the owner of this is really invested in the community. They’re already talking about how to do streamings for the community and how to do other events that actually bring in people from other surrounding areas. And the owner, he was part of the parade too!"

Council Member Marybeth Connelly was also joyous to see Paragon Theaters arrive finally in Falls Church. “This is so exciting,” she said. We’ve been working on this project, I think it’s been 13 years since it was originally proposed. And here we are! We’re going to go to the movies tonight in Falls Church. People are coming from outside the community to celebrate. I saw somewhere that this was maybe the first new theater opening in the DMV in the last three years, or in the region… So this is just great to have this fresh movie theater. And, it’s a great destination…. And I can’t wait to be able to walk here. I don’t live that close, but I’ll definitely be walking to the theater.”

As the Falls Church City Public Schools Community Outreach Director, Connelly is especially pleased about Paragon’s kid-friendly and family-friendly approach. “They’re going to have opportunities for kids’ movies. I’ve heard they have sensory-friendly films for kids who need a little bit less noise and a quieter place. And I think it just raises everybody’s morale, that we don’t have to go someplace else and that we have a movie theater right here.” 

Cindy Mester, community relations and legislative affairs director in the Office of the City Manager is also pleased the new movie theaters will help strengthen the community in addition to bringing fun and cheer to families. “I’m really excited because I love movies and I love community engagement and I feel like this theater location combines all of it. And it’s so nice to be able to walk from City Hall to a movie theater and not have to get into my car and drive which I would if I were at home,” she said.

Mester is impressed with all the hurdles that the primary actors had to jump to make the City’s movie theater dreams a reality. “I know it was rough because of Covid and you had the situation with the economy. But I think this will be a great anchor,” she said. “It’s not the first time we’ve had a movie theater in this city, but it is great to have one back.”

Mester’s looking forward to seeing rom-coms and romances she prefers, and action and sci-fi films with her husband. And she loves family friendly fare. “I don’t mind a good kids’ movie, and I saw in the previews this week there are some really good kids’ movies. I’m a kid at heart.”

Bar Coordinator for Paragon Theaters, David Portillo – a resident of Falls Church City – expressed the pleasure much of the staff is feeling about the film complex's Grand Opening. “We’re excited to be in this community. We’re excited to finally be open and to welcome the community into what we think is the most amazing experience for everyone – families, individuals, people on dates – we have a little bit for everybody.”

“I never knew we could put a movie theater inside of an apartment building. [Laughs]. But today has taught me that anything is possible. And when you have the best team on your side, you create the best experiences,” Portillo added.

From Bethesda, Bailey Galmin described how impressed she was by the Paragon’s state-of-the-art amenities. “I mean, it’s so pretty,” she said, glancing around the auditorium. “The screens are huge. The seats are very comfortable. I’ve heard that some of them are heated and like massage chairs, so that just sounds great!.... Oh, and I’m not going to sit in a non-reclining seat anymore to watch a movie. It’s a long time! I need to be comfortable,” she said with a laugh.

Before the ribbon-cutting, several thank-you speeches, sprinkled with good humored project war stories and gentle ribbing among the major players, were delivered before the curtain. 

Paragon Theaters Co-Founder and Co-Owner Mike Whalen began by describing how risky the whole venture was from the outset. “Who knew what the movie business was going to look like post-Covid? You could have all these projections and all these spreadsheets and all of that stuff – but who knew? Who knew what the business would look like from a streaming standpoint as well, as it has impacted upon movie theaters. And Mill Creek put a lot of money into building this theater, along with Paragon Theaters.... But it really was a risk for everyone, because we just didn’t know.”

“But, I’m happy to report that the movie business is alive and well!,” Whalen continued, followed by loud applause. “Business is up 15 percent over last year. People are attending movies once again. The slate of movies – F-1 tonight on this screen – is going to be amazing. Superman, Jurassic World, Avatar. This theater you sit in is the finest movie-going experience in D.C., never mind the Little City. It has a 70-ft. screen, I believe the largest in D.C. And the technology of tilting the screen close to 15 degrees so that when you recline to zero gravity, the screen is a better viewing experience than you would have with the screen being flat. Most of you in the middle here are sitting in the middle of what’s called Lux Box, another innovation by [Co-Founder and Co-Owner] Mike [Wilson]. Those Lux Box seats are heated and the recline is to zero gravity. And you can use your QR codes to order food and the breadth of the menu you see here, chef-driven, homemade pizza, great cocktails, are all so you can enjoy the finest movie going experience you could possibly get.”

Whalen emphasized that auditorium access and film screenings will be made available to the community. “Auditorium 1 will be a Director’s Room, where any one of you can rent that theater out for a private party. If you’re a Commanders fan or want to watch a Caps hockey game, you can do that. If you want to watch an old movie or want to set up a corporate event, you can do that here as well, and create your own movie-going experience.”

Co-Owner Mike Wilson reaffirmed Paragon’s vision. “As Mike said, this is the kind of thing we wanted to create to get you out of your house, to get you out of streaming at home, and to experience a movie the way we think it should be experienced. And I don’t think any of our competitors come close to this and we’re really proud of it.... We pride ourselves on being a local, hometown theater,” Wilson continued. “We pride ourselves on having a good local relationship…. So come and enjoy this theater.”

Senior Managing Director of Development for Mill Creek Residential, Joe Muffler, then stepped up to express – his voice cracking with emotion at times – his childlike joy and professional pride in taking part in the massive project to put such a cutting edge set of theaters in the same complex as all of Mill Creek’s residents. 

“This is genuinely surreal,” Muffler began. “I think it’s surreal for a lot of people here, not just from Mill Creek, but in general for the reasons Mike outlined. If you had approached anyone from Mill Creek over the last decade-plus, and asked us if we would be standing here today, the answer would probably have varied on the day, and probably on the hour we had talked about it, depending on the version of the [Letter of Agreement] LOI we were negotiating at that time. So, just channeling my inner little kid since we’re in a movie theater: This is really, really cool. It’s super, super cool.”

Muffler highlighted three factors to distinguish what an accomplishment the theaters represent. “Just three data points which might make it clearer. This is the newest new-built movie theater in the D.C. Metro region in three years. It is one of, if not the only, new-built movie theaters in the entire country built this year. And, what’s personal to me, is that we started this project in November, 2018. I remember that because it’s the same day my son was born and he’s about to go into first grade and he’s very upset he’s not here to watch the F-1 movie.” [Laughs]. 

“First and foremost, we want to thank the City of Falls Church,” Muffler continued. “We wanted to thank the City Council both past and present for their leadership. To the boards and commissions for supporting us throughout the way. And most importantly to City Staff, because without City Staff and the innumerable hours of problem-solving and coming up with creative solutions to myriad problems we dealt with throughout the years, we wouldn’t be here. [Applause]. We want to thank our neighbors here in the City of Falls Church for their support, their feedback, and their patronage.”

After thanking hosts of attendees, Muffler expressed his pride in the Mill Creek team. “This is personal,” he said. “There are over 600 people who live in Founders Row – families, couples, individuals young and old – and for five years this has been a construction zone. For example, the place you are standing in right now, 18 months ago, there was no roof on this building. For two months there was no roof above our heads, in the snow, the rain, and the cold. And outside these three walls behind the movie theater, are over 150 direct homes attached to this movie theater.”

“And throughout that entire process, through five years, we did not lose a single tenant, not a single resident due to noise, due to uncomfortable situations, and trust me, it wasn’t comfortable,” Muffler said. “And it was because of the expertise and the work [our] operations team put in…." [Applause]. 

“And, I want to thank our construction team for their leadership and expertise and fortitude. We dealt with floods. You all remember the great flood of 2019 that filled this entire hall up with about 15 feet of water? We dealt with a pandemic. We dealt with supply chain disruptions. And they had to deal with an awfully annoying developer who couldn’t make up his mind on what he wanted to do a lot of the times….,” Muffler said self-effacingly.

“To be building a movie theater is personally very rewarding and surreal,” Muffler said. “But I think movies do three things better than just about anything in the world. They create entertainment that’s adventurous and funny and thrilling and terrifying. They give us escapism from our daily lives, even if it’s just for a few hours every week or every month or whenever you’re able to make it. And I think they challenge our emotions better than just about any art form. And movie theaters are the place in the community where you get to go and share that experience with family, friends, neighbors and strangers, all in one environment. And that’s important to forming community.”

“And, we hope we’ve been good neighbors,” Muffler said earnestly. “We strive to be. And we look forward to being good neighbors for many, many years to come.”

By Christopher Jones