DICKINSON — The Dickinson Music Enrichment Center, a nonprofit organization involved in restoration efforts for the Harbour Playhouse, expressed concern following a recent hearing in which the city of Dickinson ordered the building to be demolished within 90 days.

The Harbour Playhouse has been a longstanding part of the Dickinson community, serving as a venue for artistic productions and youth performances for many years.

Organizers had proposed plans to preserve and rehabilitate the historic structure. However, city officials say the building is in dangerous condition.

According to City Attorney Nghiem Doan, approximately 75 percent of the building’s older roofing system has failed, resulting in rainwater intrusion, mold, and other organic growth inside the structure.

“The building itself is so unsafe that the risk of the remaining roof collapsing catastrophically is very high,” Doan said.

According to FEMA, the building is located in Flood Zone AE, an area considered to have a high risk of flooding.

Doan also said the city’s fire marshal issued an order prohibiting members of the Dickinson Volunteer Fire Department from entering the building, even in the event of a fire.

A preliminary engineering assessment visually determined that the theater may be salvageable, depending on the results of additional testing, including asbestos evaluations.

Doan said the city has not received a full restoration report from organizers despite multiple hearings on the matter.

He also stated that organizers have not secured the level of funding that would likely be required for either rehabilitation or demolition efforts.

Charles Marcus, director of the Dickinson Music Enrichment Center, said he did not understand why a continuance was not granted, stating that the attorney had been hospitalized for emergency surgery.

KGTX 7 News also reached out to the Harbour Playhouse’s attorney for comment.

“We continue to believe that the theater is an important asset of the community. Charles Marcus’ ideas for rehabilitation and redevelopment are very good. We are certainly considering an appeal,” said Donn Joers, attorney for the Bay Area Harbour Playhouse.

The demolition order comes as supporters of the Harbour Playhouse continue advocating for preservation of the theater and its historical role within the community.

Correction: An earlier version had the City Attorney’s name as last name, first name. We’ve reversed the names to display them as first name, last name.