LITTLE FALLS — Phil and Susy Prosapio have a photo that shows the dire condition of when they bought it more than a year ago.
The Little Falls movie theater closed in July 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic and hadn't been well maintained for years before that.
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"It was in pretty tough shape,” Susy Prosapio said. "Literally, the ceilings had collapsed into the seats …. It needed a bit of love."
Over the past year, the Prosapios have brought the 90-year-old art deco theater back to its former glory. A crew of mostly local workers restored the high vaulted ceilings and elaborate cornice work, adding a fresh coat of paint.
"Really, the major emphasis was restoring it to its original look, because it's a beautiful old building,” Susy Prosapio said.
The Falls Theatre reopened Friday night, Oct. 6, with a screening of a 1933 black-and-white romantic comedy — the first movie ever shown at the theater.
"There are certain things that are the essence of small towns, and the theater was one of them,” she said. “Certainly they have access to theaters up in Brainerd or in St. Cloud, but having their own hometown theater just felt like it meant so much.”
The theater renovation is just the latest ambitious project the Prosapios have taken on to boost the downtown of this city about 30 miles north of St. Cloud.
They're also turning the building next door into a restaurant and bar serving Italian and American food, called Ciao Thyme. When it opens in about a month, patrons will be able to bring their food and drink into the theater.
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Across the street, the Prosapios bought a former appliance store several years ago. They turned it into a space for artisans and micro-vendors who sell everything from birch bark birdhouses to handcrafted chess sets.
It kept growing and now has more than 90 vendors. The Prosapios bought the adjacent building, a former bridal shop, and expanded the space called the Shoppes of Little Falls.
The couple has revived other downtown buildings sitting idle. And they've loaned money to help people buy businesses, including the local bakery. Susy Prosapio said it brings them joy to help bring life back to downtown.
“It's not a large town, but we've got a wonderful stock of old buildings,” she said. “And to see them being put to good use really makes you feel good."
Little Falls Mayor Greg Zylka said it's hard to underestimate the impact the couple has had on the city.
"It may be a ghost town without the Prosapios, because they've had a lot of input and impact on different buildings along here,” he said.
During COVID, the city did what it could to keep downtown businesses going, Zylka said, including giving out grants through its economic development authority.
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Tough times on main street
But long before COVID, downtown Little Falls was struggling. A highway overpass was built east of the city, detouring much of the traffic that used to come through town.
“It just took away a lot of people,” Zylka said.
The city lost some major employers, including boat manufacturers Larson and Crestliner. Walmart and other big-box retailers hurt local businesses.
"We had a lot of empty buildings,” Susy Prosapio said. “But if we were to wait for somebody to come in from the outside and care enough to open a business in here, it wouldn't happen. It takes people who live here and care to invest in the communities."
The Prosapios say they never planned to be business owners. They say they've been fortunate to partner with local people who are knowledgeable in their field to run those businesses.
That includes woodworker Tony Armagost. The couple helped him renovate an old building that once housed a dry cleaner. It now houses his custom framing business.
"It was boarded up and buckled up,” Armagost said. “We had to do a complete rehab on it. But we got it for a good price. And that really made it worth the effort."
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The couple said their efforts are a way to give back to the community where they've made their home for 33 years. Phil Prosapio recently retired after a long career as an orthopedic surgeon.
"This town, this community, this county had treated our family very well,” he said. “They helped us raise our kids, support my practice."
Susy Prosapio is originally from Fargo, but became active in the community after moving to Little Falls and serving as director of the nonprofit Great River Arts.
"This is the place we have spent most of our lives,” she said. “And we feel that the one thing we can do is make our little corner of the world a better place.”
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