ATLANTA — Plans to demolish a historic home in Atlanta’s Virginia-Highland neighborhood are moving forward after the city’s Board of Zoning Adjustment approved a request to tear down the property connected to a landmark Supreme Court case involving gay rights.

The home, located along Ponce de Leon Place, is where Michael Hardwick was arrested in 1982 under an anti-sodomy law.

The case eventually reached the U.S. Supreme Court, which upheld the law in 1986. That ruling was later overturned in 2003.

The property’s current owners received approval to demolish the existing structure and replace it with a new home and swimming pool.

The homeowners say they were unaware of the property’s historical significance when they purchased it last year.

They also cited mold and structural problems that would make renovating the home too expensive.

Although they plan to move forward with demolition, the owners say they are willing to install a historical marker on the property recognizing its connection to the Supreme Court case.

The zoning board’s decision comes after the Atlanta City Council voted earlier this week to begin the process of designating the property as a historic landmark.