Absolute phrase with preposition

I came across this sentence but can't understand the grammatical structure.

Despite there being a blizzard in the area, business remained open as usual.

In the phrase "Despite there being a blizzard," I can tell "there being" is an absolute phrase. Then why "despite" is used? Can an absolute phrase function as a noun phrase? Or is "there being" not an absolute phrase but a gerund? But if it is a gerund, that doesn't make sense in terms of grammatical structure.

Why and how "despite" can be used with an absolute phrase?

Solution 1:

Participle phrases seek to modify something in the main sentence. But there are situations the main sentence doesn't contain elements to modify. Here in lies the need for an absolute phrase. As the name suggests, it is self contained. An Absolute phrase or nominative absolute cantains a moun or pronoun/a participle/related modifier. It may even take a 'dummy it' or 'introductory there'. It is by nature parenthetical, set off from the rest of the sentence by comma(s) providing additional information or modifying​ the sentence as a whole. Almost a clause, an absolute phrase may contain any sentence element except a finite verb.

Let us analyze our example with and without the preposition "despite" meaning ' in spite of' or 'not withstanding'

• Despite there being a blizzard in the area, business remained open as usual.

If we do away with "despite" the absolute phrase gives a different meaning to what is intended. Please note that absolute phrases can take the form of a noun phrase, an adjective phrase or prepositional phrase, And the prepositioal phrase is called from the standard of construction, not from functionality. It can be anything,here an adverb modifying the whole sentence that follows.