Several years ago, before a new mixed-use building filled in a long vacant lot at the corner of 13th & South, we told you that Harry’s Occult Shop had moved from its longtime home at 1238 South St. to a new space down the street. It seemed like a relevant piece of news, as Harry’s had been in business for almost a century at the time, with the move coming because their building was changing hands.

When the new owners took over, it seems they went about renovating the building from top to bottom. They maintained a retail space on the first floor, and have renovated two apartments on the upper levels. They’ve also sheathed the building in new panels, and it’s a bit of an unapologetic ripoff of the building next door. Maybe they’re hoping this will help them find a tenant for their available retail space.

Next door to the newly renovated building is a one-story garage entry, covered in Zagar-mosaic. We’ve always had a soft spot in our hearts for this garage because of the mosaic, even though it’s objectively a lousy presence on this commercial street. If you’ll notice in the image below, there’s a ‘For Sale’ sign on the property, which made us think that the garage might soon disappear.

Fear not (or celebrate not, depending on your perspective), the garage isn’t going anywhere. We never realized it, but this garage is actually the entrance to a hidden courtyard containing several smaller homes. This is quite similar to Harkens Place in Bella Vista, and some other courtyards we’ve told you about before, only with car access and parking. With half a dozen or so residences hiding behind that garage, it’s safe to say it will be sticking around for the long term. As for what kind of new business will open next door, we’ll just have to wait and see.