At a Monday McAllen commission meeting, family members of Juan Carlos Perez, a 54-year-old McAllen resident who died in a drunk driving crash in 2025, asked commissioners not to approve a conditional use permit for a new bar downtown.
Mark Watts, owner of the downtown bar Santa Diabla, said he applied for the permit to move his Loo Loo Bar from 302 S. 17th St. to 324 S. 17th St., the former site of NY 17th Floor, under the name "Heaven Nightclub." Dionicio Luna Aguirre, 40, has been charged in the crash, which police said followed a night of drinking at the former NY 17th Floor. Aguirre has pleaded not guilty. Court records show he has since been indicted on multiple charges, including intoxication manslaughter.
Watts said NY 17th Floor has been under investigation by the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission since it was shut down earlier this year. He said he had no connection to the company that operated the bar at the time of the crash, other than seeking to buy the property. Perez's widow told the commission that Watts was also an owner of NY 17th Floor. City staff and Watts dispute that claim.