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Falls Church celebrated the return of a neighborhood movie theater on June 26, cutting the ribbon on a seven-screen luxury complex that ended a decades-long wait for first-run films within the city.

City officials, community leaders, Falls Church Chamber of Commerce members, and Paragon Theaters representatives gathered inside an Axis15 Extreme auditorium at Paragon Founders Row. Thunderstorms pushed the ceremony indoors, giving guests an immediate look at the venue’s centerpiece: a 70-foot screen with 4K laser projection and Dolby Atmos immersive sound.

The 600-seat theater at 110 Founders Ave. is built into the Founders Row apartment complex. Its amenities include zero-gravity recliners, heated Lux Box seats, a lounge and bar, and in-seat delivery of food, cocktails, drinks and popcorn ordered by QR code. After the ceremony, invited guests watched a screening of the Brad Pitt film “F1.”

The opening brings regular movie screenings back to Falls Church for the first time since the State Theatre stopped showing films in 1988.

Getting the project to opening night took years. Developers and theater operators navigated the COVID-19 pandemic, economic uncertainty, supply-chain problems, construction challenges and questions about how streaming would affect the movie business.

Paragon Chief Operating Officer Brian Hood said the company was excited to bring movies to Falls Church and surrounding communities after the long wait.

“This community deserves a theater,” Hood said, describing the complex as a top-tier facility with one of the largest screens in the Washington area.

Former Falls Church Mayor Dave Tarter called the opening an important moment for the city, particularly for families who can now walk to a movie theater.

“For the first time in decades, kids can walk to the movies,” Tarter said. “This is what small-town life is all about.”

Tarter said a theater had been part of the project’s broader vision from the beginning. An earlier developer had considered a Walgreens as the development’s anchor, he noted, but city leaders believed a cinema would have greater appeal.

City Council member David Snyder said the arrival of a first-run theater was welcome even as some aspects of local development remain controversial.

“The day has finally arrived, and I am very, very pleased,” Snyder said. “It’s been too long since we had a first-run movie theater in this city.”

Council member Justine Underhill emphasized the theater’s location along the Washington & Old Dominion Trail. Residents and visitors can reach it on foot or by bicycle, she said, supporting Falls Church’s goal of becoming a “15-minute city” where daily destinations are close to home.

Underhill also expects the auditoriums to serve purposes beyond commercial screenings, including birthday parties, community programs and special events that could attract people from nearby jurisdictions.

Council member Marybeth Connelly said the project had been discussed for roughly 13 years before reaching completion. In her role as community outreach director for Falls Church City Public Schools, she was particularly encouraged by plans for children’s programming and sensory-friendly screenings for guests who benefit from lower sound levels and a calmer environment.

Community Relations and Legislative Affairs Director Cindy Mester said the theater combines entertainment with community engagement while providing a destination within walking distance of City Hall. She called it a promising anchor for Founders Row after the setbacks caused by the pandemic and the economy.

Paragon Bar Coordinator David Portillo, a Falls Church resident, said the complex was designed for families, individuals and couples. He also marveled at the engineering required to place a full movie theater inside an apartment development.

Guests praised the new auditorium’s scale and comfort. Bethesda resident Bailey Galmin pointed to its large screen and reclining seats, including models with heat and massage features.

Before the ribbon was cut, representatives of Paragon and developer Mill Creek Residential described the risks and persistence behind the project.

Paragon co-founder and co-owner Mike Whalen said the partners could not know what theatrical attendance would look like after COVID-19 or how streaming would continue to reshape the industry. He said moviegoing remained healthy, with business up 15 percent from the previous year.

Whalen highlighted the Axis15 auditorium’s 70-foot screen, which is tilted nearly 15 degrees to improve the view from reclining seats. He also promoted the chef-driven menu, homemade pizza and cocktails available for delivery during screenings.

One auditorium will operate as a Director’s Room that can be rented for private parties, corporate gatherings, classic films or sports broadcasts, including Washington Commanders and Capitals games.

Paragon co-owner Mike Wilson said the company wanted to offer an experience compelling enough to draw viewers away from streaming at home. He described Paragon as a hometown theater operator committed to maintaining close ties with the community.

Mill Creek Senior Managing Director of Development Joe Muffler called the opening “surreal” after more than a decade of planning and negotiation. He said it was the newest purpose-built movie theater in the Washington metropolitan region in three years and possibly among the only newly constructed theaters in the country that year.

Mill Creek began the project in November 2018, Muffler said. The development subsequently endured flooding, the pandemic, supply shortages and complex construction beside occupied apartments. At one stage, the theater building had no roof for two months while crews worked through snow, rain and cold.

More than 600 people live at Founders Row, including residents of over 150 homes directly connected to the theater structure. Muffler said five years of construction did not cause a single resident to leave because of noise or other disruptions, crediting the development’s operations and construction teams.

He also thanked current and former City Council members, city boards and commissions, municipal employees and neighboring residents for helping solve problems and sustain the project.

For Muffler, the finished theater represents more than another business. Movies provide entertainment, escape and an emotional experience, he said, while theaters give families, friends, neighbors and strangers a place to share those moments together.

That community role was a recurring theme throughout the ceremony: after years of complications and more than three decades without a local cinema, Falls Church once again has a place where residents can walk or bike to the movies.