Hearst’s Seattle Post-Intelligencer has notified several staffers that they have been selected to work for an online version of the newspaper. Hearst has said that it will close the P-I if no buyer steps forward by Tuesday, March 10.

The paper reports that an unspecified number of the P-I’s roughly 180 employees received “provisional offers” Wednesday and Thursday to work for the online venture, if the Web site is approved by Hearst’s senior management. One staffer said the Web site plans to employ about 20 people.