The stretch of Elizabeth Street between 29th Street and U.S. 50 continues to attract more restaurants, retail stores and other commercial businesses.

Among the projects:

• A small Jimmy John's sandwich shop is nearing completion across the street from Old Chicago. It is Pueblo's second Jimmy John's. The first one opened in 2016 at 4016 W. Northern Ave. on the South Side. The chain has not announced an opening date.

• Remodeling appears to be nearing completion on a Free Fall marijuana testing lab at 3223 N. Elizabeth St., across the street from Olive Garden and the former site of a Pizza Hut restaurant.

Last summer, the city of Pueblo approved the rezoning of the property to allow for the testing lab. Completed improvements include a major renovation of the former restaurant building and the installation of a decorative security fence surrounding the property. The opening date is unknown; a message left with the rezoning applicant has not been returned.

• Last fall, marijuana retailer The Spot 420 opened inside a renovated office/retail building at 3504 N. Elizabeth St., between a 7-Eleven and Applebee's. The chain also operates stores in Pueblo West and Trinidad.

• Also last year, the Zone d'Erotica adult lingerie and novelty store opened in a former estate state at 3426 N. Elizabeth St., between Applebee's and Wingstop.

• Last May, thrift store New Horizons opened its mostly newly constructed, large store at 2930 N. Elizabeth St., the site of the former Rosario's restaurant. The store replaces the New Horizons store that operated for years in a section of a former Walmart store in the University Park area.

The store supports the Canon City-based nonprofit ministry's mission of funding foster care and family reunification services for mothers in prison, other foster care services and a prison chaplain program.

The recent and planned additions continue a resurgence for that stretch of Elizabeth Street that began several years ago with an influx of more restaurants, including Old Chicago and Chipotle Mexican Grill.

The biggest store on the block remains the North Side Kmart at the corner of Elizabeth Street and U.S. 50. The store is open but its long-term fate remains uncertain as parent Sears goes through its bankruptcy proceedings. The possibility exists that Sears will close all of of its remaining Sears and Kmart stores across the nation.

Sears recently announced that its next round of store closures will include the Sears anchor store and auto center at Pueblo Mall, regardless of the outcome of its bankruptcy case. The retailer previously closed the South Side Kmart.

The North Side Kmart is one of only two Kmart-branded stores left in Colorado. The other is in Loveland. As for Sears stores, the latest round of closings include the retailer's Colorado Springs stores and will leave full-service stores only in Aurora, Littlleton and Thornton, according to its website.

Other stores that operate in smaller cities under the Sears Hometown or Sears Outlet brand are operated separately. Retail analysts say the future of those store brands may depend on whether the larger Sears brand survives.