The fate of the historic Adolph Hammerschmidt mansion at 432 E. Chicago Ave. could be decided as early as Thursday. The Historic Sites Commission will meet with residents and preservationists in council chambers to decide whether to accept the application requesting landmark status.

A group of residents filed the landmark application in July shortly before property owners Chris and Sue Cobb were going to host an auction that allowed buyers to bid on fixtures in the 1893 home. The auction was to be taped for a show that would air on the Discovery Channel this fall. After the show, bulldozers would demolish the building. But no such event occurred because the city cannot approve a demolition permit when a landmark application has been submitted.

The Cobbs have since offered to sell the building to avoid demolition, but the buyer would have to pay the original purchase price of $775,000 and promise to rehab the property.