So far this year, the estimated construction value associated with building permits issued by the Leelanau County Building Inspections department is down a whopping 47 percent from last year, and the number of building permits issued is down more than 20 percent from the same time in 2006.

The numbers don’t tell the whole story, however. During this period last year, the department issued the largest single permit of the year, and one of the largest ever – a permit for $7.7 million in work on the new Leelanau County Governmental Center which is still under construction this year in Suttons Bay Township.

In addition, during the same two-week reporting period last year, the Inspections department issued a permit for a $2.3 million project to rebuild the Orchard Creek dementia care unit, which burned down on March 30, 2006.

Even discounting the unusual jump in estimated construction values recorded at this time last year, however, overall numbers this year remain on the downslide. The number of building permits issued by this time last year, 319, was down eight percent from the year-to-date number recorded in 2005. And despite the huge jump in construction values at this time last year, 2006 values were up only 12 percent from the same time in 2005.

Over the latest two-week period, 36 new building permits have been added to a file available for public review at the Inspections department. The estimated construction value of the new permits totals $1,540,755 That brings the year-to-date total number of permits issued to 255, and the estimated construction value so far this year to $14,496,476.

Following is a list of projects for which permits have been issued, listed by the community in which the work is being done:

VILLAGE OF EMPIRE: Frank C. Desmet Revocable Trust (Salisbury & May Construction), deck addition to single-family residence at 10135 W. Salisbury St., $3,510.

VILLAGE OF NORTHPORT: Special Needs Trust (Richard Arthur Parker), one-story addition to single-family residence at 411 N. Rose St., $15,637.

VILLAGE OF SUTTONS BAY: Christine E. Murdoch (Whiteford Associates), one-story single-family residence on basement with attached garage, deck and porch at 344 W. Jefferson Ave., $136,899.

BINGHAM: David A. Noyes, covered porch for single-family residence at 5977 S. Cummings St., $420; Margaret M. Phillips (Haenlein Builders), replacement permit to complete gazebo at 3192 S. Skeba Rd., $2,000; Silvia Garcia, deck and steps at 7633 S. West Bay Shore Dr., $2,736; Charles W. and Stone Brunk (Potter’s Construction), two-story single-family residence on basement with attached garage and deck at 5875 S. Calle Ct., $232,036.

CENTERVILLE: David A. and Christine K. Ruszel (Homewerks Construction), modular single-family residence on basement with attached garage, deck and porch at 2992 S. French Rd., $204,220; Carol A. Novak, screen porch for single-family residence at 6120 E. Polish Harbor Dr., $3,024; George Peplinski, two-story single-family residence on basement with covered porch and attached garage at 5951 S. Schomberg Rd., $110,444.

CLEVELAND: David W. Moffat (Edward D. Love), addition of covered porch to residential post frame building at 7222 S. Scotch Pine Rd., $20,080; Jerome Friedman (Skiver Construction), one-story residential post frame building at 6131 S. Lime Lake Rd., $4,992; Thomas and Toni Tobin, addition of sunroom on crawlspace to single-family residence at 863 E. Cemetery Rd., $15,428; James J. Massaroni (Jack H. Daniels) one-story residential storage building at 232 E. Traverse Lake Rd., $24,480.

ELMWOOD: Karen Ann Mudgett (Marvin Dwight Saxton), demolition of cottage at 8518 S. Lakeview Rd., $0; Karen Ann Mudgett (Marvin Dwight Saxton), two-story single-family residence on partial basement with porch, deck and attached garage at 8518 S. Lakeview Rd., $219,220; Warren L. Horner (Choice Construction), addition of two decks to single-family residence at 10420 E. Cherry Bend Rd., $3,888; Leroy A. and Claudia M. Nowak, alterations to basement for egress windows at 9941 E. Harbor Hills Dr., $1,000; Joshua F. and Ingrid M. Jones, one-story addition on basement to single-family residence at 9907 E. Cherry Bend Rd., $28,800.

EMPIRE: William E. and Wendy L. Jansen (Prestige Construction), two-story single-family residence on basement with covered porch at 6104 W. Woods Dr., $138,352; John R. Fairfield Trust, alteration to single family residence at 7809 S. Dune Hwy., $6,000; Wiejaczka Family Trust, one-story addition to storage shed at 1104 S. Benzonia Tr., $5,600.

GLEN ARBOR: Timothy E. and Elaine T. Keaton (Prestige Construction), two-story detached garage with finished upper level at 6268 W. Cottage Ln., $51,400; Joanne J. Deatrick Trust (Edward D. Love), deck for single-family residence at 6289 S. Lake St., $3,078; Gregory G. Christensen, deck addition to single-family residence at 3937 W. Cheney Woods Tr., $2,880; James G. and Beverly L. Duff (Stanz Dozer Service), demolition of single-family residence at 7200 S. Dunns Farm Rd., $1.

KASSON: Kasson Holdings L.L.C. (Hecht Builders), commercial deck addition for restaurant at 172 W. Burdickville Rd., $10,000; Gregory and Mary Flowers (Flowers Construction), one-story residential detached garage at 134 W. Burdickville Rd., $14,688; James R. and Linda W. Stevenson (Lanham Construction), addition to storage building at 3454 W. Baatz Rd., $9,360.

LEELANAU: James G. Datema, one-story addition on crawlspace to single-family residence at 1135 N. Shore Dr., $30,624; Curtis J. and Constance Fjelstul (Raymond L. Paddock), two-story residential detached garage at 13066 N. Forest Beach Shore, $27,744; Steven P. and Marilyn C. Lengyel (Allen & Sun Builders), alteration to garage for living area at 4410 N. Omena Point Rd., $17,280.

LELAND: Alan F. and Cherryll Walzel Frick, boat house for residence at 384 Mill St., $8,704; Nancy L. Kotting, covered deck on footings at 3463 N. Manitou Tr., $6,048.

SUTTONS BAY: Orville J. and Brenda S. Redman, pole type residential storage building at 11390 E. Richlyn Dr., $15,600; Randy Ray Herman, one-story single family residence on basement with attached garage, covered porch and deck at 1215 S. Pine View Rd., $164,622.