Two meetings this month will give more direction on the fate of the proposed restaurant and brewpub next to Steve’s Pizza Palace at 175 W. Main St. in Platteville.

The Platteville Common Council is expected to vote Tuesday on the proposed vacating of part of Jones Street, the alley to the west of Steve’s Pizza, to allow the restaurant to be built and for parking.

The city Historic Preservation Commission approved the demolition of one of the two buildings proposed to be demolished as part of the project, at 155 W. Main St., Tuesday. The commission didn’t take action on the other building, at 45 S. Chestnut St., because that building is not within a city historic district. (More on that story in The Journal next week.)

The commission will meet Jan. 19 on the proposed addition to the building.

Steve’s Pizza owner John Patakos proposes to build on to the east side of his building in what now officially is Jones Street, which is a city street even though the city abandoned most of the street in 1975. 

The city Plan Commission recommended approval of vacating part of Jones Street while maintaining a 24-foot-wide easement for access, along with continuing existing right-of-way encroachments on Chestnut Street, Main Street and Jones Street, in December.

Jones Street originally extended from Main Street between Steve’s and Viewpoint Graphics south to the alley north of Hartig Drug. Most of Jones Street was abandoned by the city in 1975 when the owner of what now is the Steve’s Pizza building, Heiser Ace Hardware, planned to add onto the building. Heiser instead moved from the former Montgomery Ward building to 180 E. Main St. 

Patakos purchased the building, then occupied by Discount Mattress, in 2008 and moved there from Steve’s original location, 15 E. Main St., in 2009.

The project would vacate the northern 32 feet of what remains of Jones Street for brewpub grain silos and utilities for the expansion. The expansion would extend 32 foot east into the alley east of Steve’s, with the 155 W. Main St. building removed for five parallel parking and the South Chestnut building removed for six parking stalls.

The project also would extend the raised sidewalk and guardrail in front of Steve’s to the east along West Main Street.