The cleanup is underway in Boston's Roslindale Square, where bricks fell from the top of a building on Poplar Street Wednesday evening, crashing onto the sidewalk below.

"There's lots of traffic, sidewalk traffic, a lot of people sitting on the benches there," said Marion Simmoneau, who lives nearby.

Bricks fell off building facade onto sidewalk

Leander Jimenez works at a nearby barbershop and was just leaving work at around 7:30 p.m. Wednesday.

"It's too many people walking around here. Thank god nothing happened yesterday, that's scary," said Jimenez.

"I've seen where above the, sort of, top part of the facade, some steel pieces had rotted out and so the bricks fell directly onto the sidewalk," said Boston Mayor Michelle Wu.

The owners of two now displaced businesses, Roslindale Fish Market and Felix Barber Shop, were getting a closer look with an inspector at the building Thursday. Emma Blaxter, the director of Roslindale Village Main Streets, said it's difficult to lose any business for an extended period.

"For so many of them they're operating on relatively small margins," said Blaxter. "Felix has only just got up and going, I can only imagine they're facing an upward battle."

Similar facade collapses in Boston recently

In recent weeks there have been similar facade collapses; a building in East Boston, and heavy chunks of stone also falling to the sidewalk outside a building in Chinatown. In Roslindale, scaffolding has been erected to prevent any further debris from falling.

"My understanding is they're going to have to have a structural engineer come in, find out whether the building is safe. And so that might mean some time being closed," said Blaxter.

It's a tight knit community of businesses in Roslindale Square. Some like Guy Ragusa, who owns Sebastian's Barber Shop down the street, knows the pain the owners are feeling. Nearly three years ago, a car slammed into his block, forcing businesses to close while considerable rebuilding was done.

"It took a little while, lots of paperwork, and insurance process. But I think there was a lot of community support from customers and local businesses," said Ragusa.

It's the kind of support the community is ready to lend again.

"I think we're just going to have to wait and see about this building and if they're going to be looking for a new place to be, we'll do everything we can to help," said Blaxter.

Wu said the city will work with the business owners for a safe return.