Executive Summary
- The 275th state District Court ordered the permanent closure of Noxx Nightclub in McAllen.
- City Manager Issac Tawil cited expired permits and fire safety violations as the primary reasons for the shutdown.
- The closure follows a fatal crash involving a driver who allegedly consumed alcohol at the venue, though the city states this was not the legal basis for the closure.
- Property owners are legally barred from leasing to the nightclub’s operators at any location within the city.
A nightclub in McAllen’s entertainment district has been permanently shuttered following a court order issued by the 275th state District Court. The closure of Noxx Nightclub, finalized last Friday, stems from administrative and safety violations rather than a widely publicized fatal crash linked to the venue, according to city officials.
McAllen City Manager Issac Tawil stated on Monday that the establishment’s special use permit had expired and it operated without a valid certificate of occupancy. Tawil attributed the lack of certification to remodeling work conducted without proper inspection. Furthermore, city management cited deficiencies in the venue’s fire suppression system and other code violations that rendered the building unsafe for public use.
While the closure coincides with a fatal incident involving a patron, officials maintain the legal action was strictly regulatory. According to a probable cause affidavit, 18-year-old Gabriela Nunez Garcia allegedly consumed alcohol at Noxx on November 29 before being involved in a vehicular crash. Police reports indicate Garcia ran a red light and struck a concrete barrier, resulting in the death of 25-year-old Jacob Roel Rodriguez and injuries to five others.
Tawil clarified the city’s position regarding the lawsuit that led to the closure. “We sought a court order to make clear that their operation was prohibited,” Tawil said. He emphasized that the legal proceedings focused on lawful operation requirements rather than the alleged misbehavior contributing to the accident. Tawil noted that the city has applied similar enforcement measures against other establishments with revoked permits.
Court records show the permanent injunction was part of a compromise settlement in which the defendants admitted no wrongdoing. The order explicitly bars property owners TBE Tax & Rotary LLC, Martin Hinojosa III, and Janice Martinez from allowing the nightclub’s operators to conduct business at the 200 S. 17th St. location or any other property they own within McAllen city limits.
Regulatory Oversight & Public Safety
The permanent closure of this venue underscores a heightened phase of regulatory enforcement within McAllen’s entertainment district. By leveraging code compliance and zoning permits as tools for public safety, municipal leadership is establishing a precedent that operational negligence will result in the revocation of business privileges, independent of parallel criminal investigations. This strategy suggests a shift toward proactive administrative policing to mitigate risks in high-traffic nightlife zones. It is important to note that all individuals involved in the criminal investigation regarding the crash, including the driver, are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
