News

Should Houston Name A Street After Local Legend Mattress Mack?

If you had been living under a rock and had not heard of Mattress Mack before Hurricane Harvey, you surely heard of his efforts after the storm.

A local man has started a petition to name a street after the Houston legend, which would be a hard road to hoe. For a public street, a written petition signed by at least 75% of the property owners abutting the street is required. For a private street, that threshold is lowered to 51%. The real kicker though? To use an individual's name as a street name, the City of Houston requires the individual be deceased.

Those details have not stopped J.R. Alvarenga, who launched a Change.org petition in honor of Gallery Furniture owner Jim "Mattress Mack" McIngvale. Alvargena said Mack stepped up to help rally the city through Hurricane Harvey (sheltering evacuees in a Gallery Furniture store during and after the storm) and during the Houston Astros' journey to the World Series. Mack paid thousands of dollars on Game 6 tickets and flights for 75+ lucky Houstonians and first responders, after gambling on an Astros World Series win with customers, which cost him $10M. This Thanksgiving, Mack will open the same store that housed thousands after Harvey to serve a Thanksgiving Day feast to anyone who shows up.

"We want to get together as a community and be grateful that we’ve gotten through this storm together," Mattress Mack told ABC News.

If naming a street is not an option, the petition recommends giving Mack a key to the city or gifting him an honorary World Series championship ring.

Continue reading this story with a free account

Log in or register
Sign up for more articles like this
Subscribe to Bisnow's Houston Newsletters
Related Stories

Texas Flips Blue, Putting Data Center Boom On Notice

2.7M SF Campus Trades In Houston's Largest Industrial Sale

Piedmont Realty Exiting Houston Market With Office Dispositions

Nord Group's Lawyer Moves To Quit, Says Entities Can't Pay Him

Credit Union Breaks Ground On New HQ Building: The Houston Deal Sheet

EXCLUSIVE: Downtown Houston+ Targets Grocery Gap, Pedestrian Experience With New Programs

Houston's Office Woes Are Getting Too Expensive To Fix

Empty Pews On Prime Plots: As Congregations Shrink, Dutch Churches Land On The Property Market

Welcome Group Starts Pearland Industrial: The Houston Deal Sheet

Apartment Operators Are Rethinking The Amenity Arms Race

'Ultra-Luxury' Inner Loop Office Tower Planned Near The Galleria

'Let's Just Get This Over With': Houston Multifamily Hopes For Capitulation