HOUSTON – A historic Houston theater is on the verge of being lost forever — and the clock is running out.
ArtHouse Houston, a local nonprofit, is racing to raise $7.1 million to purchase the Garden Oaks Theatre and save it from demolition. Today marks a critical deadline for the organization to secure the funds. According to ArtHouse Houston’s Facebook page, roughly $1 million still needs to be raised.
The theater’s owner has agreed to hand the building back to the community — but only if supporters can match the $7.1 million he paid for it. If the deal falls through, the building could be demolished.
The Garden Oaks Theatre once lit up its neighborhood before spending the last two decades operating as a church. The building was privately sold and came within one step of being demolished, according to Council Member Mario Castillo. ArtHouse Houston stepped in, giving the community a second chance to reclaim the historic space.
KPRC 2 first took viewers inside the Garden Oaks Theatre on Aug. 8. At the time, the power was out and the building had been stripped of all its electrical components. Supporters have been working to raise funds ever since.
For many Houstonians, saving the theater is about more than preserving an old building.
“Sometimes we look forward so much, that we don’t look at the past. And this is a dimension of not only preserving our history but it’s gonna add to the future as well,” said Shawn Singh, a Houston influencer and theater supporter.
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