This morning, Capitol Hill Seattle's Kaylee Osowski reported that the Elliott Bay Book Company's building has found a buyer. According to present Elliott Bay landlord Hunters Capital, the new landlord wants to keep the bookstore as a tenant. They have not yet revealed the identity of the prospective owner, but they call them "local" and "family-owned."

We have every reason to believe those claims: Elliott Bay has a long-term lease for the space, and Hunters Capital specifically sought them out as tenants back when the store was based in Pioneer Square. In a time when no Seattle landmarks are safe from development, Osowski's report leaves me cautiously optimistic.