The building was finally rebuilt in the spring of 2023.
Reconstruction of the storefront at the northwest corner of South Compton and Arsenal finally got going a couple of months ago, and while they had to simplify the ornamentation due to damage to terracotta panels, I am still happy that’s happening. Now I hope they are just planning on that steel column being temporary; the original survived the crash. After a false start, final reconstruction will be coming around on almost two years since this happened.
I imagine a portion of the building collapsed onto the car that struck it. What an experience that must have been! Glad to see it being reconstructed. Too many cornerstores are going to waste in this city.
It did in fact collapse on the SUV that struck the cast iron column, and the driver nearly died but he jumped out of the wrecked vehicle just in the nick of time before several tons of bricks came crashing down on him.