(Courtesy of Borders)

It's been well-documented by now that Borders has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection and plans to close 200 of its stores, including its K Street NW and Friendship Heights locations in D.C. But what's not on that list [PDF] of closing stores? The one in Downtown Silver Spring.

That's a huge sigh of relief to Silver Spring residents who have been worried for years over the potential closure of one of the principal anchors of Downtown Silver Spring. But all may not be well and good forever — bankruptcy procedures are a fluid, tricky thing, so who is to say that Silver Spring may not get the axe further down the line?

If the Silver Spring Borders were to close, that retail storefront won't sit empty for long, Jennifer Nettles with property managers Peterson Cos. said back in January. Downtown Silver Spring has experienced double-digit retail growth and there are a number of retailers who have been chomping at the bit to move into the Borders space for some time now.

"If they do [close], it is our intention to replace them with one or more retails that will allow us to continue providing interesting retail choices that complement our existing offerings, that bring a sense of cache to the project, and that will serve well the needs of the Silver Spring community," Nettles wrote in an e-mail to TBD today.

Complete list:

Washington, D.C.

• 1801 K Street NW
• Friendship Centre Shopping Center 5333 Wisconsin Avenue,NW

Maryland

• Bowie: Bowie Gateway Center 4420 Mitchellville Rd.
• Kensington: White Flint Mall 11301 Rockville Pike
• Largo: Capital Centre 931 Capital Centre Blvd.

Virginia

• Stafford Market Place Shopping Center 1240 Stafford Market Place
• Tyson's Corner 8027 Leesburg Pike, Ste 100
• Winchester Station 2420 S. Pleasant Valley Road