Flagpole through the facade

For the most part, this store's exterior design is pretty standard, but it has one particularly strange feature -- the flagpole above the main sign isn't actually connected to the roof, but continues all the way to the ground through that slot in the front, something you can see a little better in Street View. There are even windows, currently covered up, within that area. I've never seen anything like this before, and I have no clue why someone would have designed it that way!