‘Amazing’ support: Roslindale businesses start to reopen after crash

Nearly three weeks after a car slammed into and decimated their building, the first few businesses at the corner of Corinth St. and Birch St. are starting to move back in.

“The staff has been anticipating this day and dusting off the cobwebs because they haven’t made coffee and espresso and lattes in almost three weeks,” said Anthony Giordano, the owner of the Square Root café, on its first day reopened Thursday. “It’s just nice to see people here.”

The café and several other businesses in the building have had a shaky couple of weeks since the Sunday morning before Christmas, when a car whipped down the hill and slammed into the front of their building.

No people were seriously injured in the accident, but the impact caused the front face of the building to collapse and took businesses on the block out of commission for the holidays.

But very quickly, the community stepped up.

“It’s been an amazing amount of support,” said Giordano. “By the time I made it here to the crash site that Sunday, someone had started a GoFundMe, and that has raised just about $70,000 specifically for the businesses and employees and employers.”

Beyond the funds, community members have stopped by consistently to lend hands or moral support or even space for the businesses to work out of, Giordano said.

The café and Sebastian’s Barber Shop were the first businesses to open in the building after the city inspection last week — though part of Sebastian’s still remains blocked off by wreckage — but several other businesses have taken up donated spots around town.

Threading for Beauty took up residence in Centre Cuts, Village Healing and Wellness and Leise Jones Photography are working out of The Substation, while several other businesses have also adjusted to keep running.

“Everybody’s been really generous,” said Sarah Kosky, who’s making select house calls with makeup clients for her business, Beauty By Sarah. “If they have space they’re willing to let us use it until our businesses can return.”

Like many of the businesses, Kosky said, she missed out on her busiest season of the year after the accident. But despite the hardship, the way the neighborhood has looked out for one another has been a bright spot.

“I’m so proud of our community,” Kosky noted. “We have, in my opinion, the best community in the city of Boston — everyone’s come together like it’s a small town even though we’re a city.”

Kosky, who still has a stabilizing steel beam running through her office, said she likely won’t be able to reopen for another six to eight weeks. For some others, she said, it may take as long as six months while a section of the building is rebuilt.

Since the accident, some are also pushing for the city to look at safety precautions for the intersection.

“It’s such a busy intersection,” Kosky said. “I cannot imagine how somebody was — even if they were having an issue with their accelerator — able to get up to 70 miles an hour right there.”

On most other days, she added, the corner would likely have been filled with pedestrians.

Police said the collision remains under investigation. There have been no charges.

“Hopefully they’ll make the steps towards doing something to make it less dangerous,” said Giordano. … “Some sort of speed calming going down that hill, which is always a problem, and potentially some bollards that could be installed in front of the businesses.”

After a crash of that magnitude, Giordano said, the block is just glad to be on a path to recovery.

“Lucky to still be here,” Giordano said. “Lucky nobody got hurt. And its warming the way the neighborhood supported us.”