Back in January, the MyBallard blog reported that developers had purchased the property housing Ballard's Twice Sold Tales. No timeline was announced, but the shoe has finally dropped: yesterday, owner John MacBeath Watkins announced that he has until March 31, 2019, to find a new home for the store.

The sale is no surprise: The lot's in prime residential territory (a 173-unit apartment building is planned for the space). But it is a shame. The opening of the new Nordic Museum is bringing a flood of foot traffic up Market Street, and Twice Sold Tales fits in with other shops that are making that stretch a great walk from downtown Ballard. Ballardites talk big about preserving the character of the neighborhood; that's not going to happen unless we protect small businesses as well as large.

Watkins is looking for a new place to land and, eventually, hands to help with the move. Sounds look a chance for Seattle's book community to pitch in for one of its own.