(UPDATED WITH PLANNING COMMISSION DETAILS)

A hearing before the city's Planning Commission is St. Louis University's next step in its proposal to demolish the historic Pevely Dairy complex.

The commission voted last evening to review the matter at a special meeting on Feb. 22. At issue is the St. Louis Preservation Board's decision in December to reject SLU's request to demolish the main Pevely building at South Grand and Chouteau.

SLU wants to raze the vacant Pevely complex and replace it with a $75 million building for its SLUCare physicians' practice. Because the complex is on the National Register of Historic Places, Pevely demolition must be approved by the city. Under SLU's plan, the Pevely headquarters building site would become green space and a driveway for the new center.

The Preservation Board sided with SLU on razing two other Pevely buildings--a former milk plant and a parking garage--with the condition that demolition permits would be issued only after SLU sought building permits to redevelop those sites.

Don Roe, acting director of the Planning & Urban Design Agency, noted today that the Planning Commission has the authority to accept, reject or modify Preservaton Board decisions. Appeals of commission decisions may be filed in St. Louis Circuit Court.

SLU says it looks forward to presenting its plans to the commission.

Many preservationists oppose demolition of the main Pevely building, completed in 1915. They contend that SLU could renovate the building and still have room on the Pevely site to erect a SLUCare building.