By mid-October, Lawrence likely will have a new option for sandwiches and sweet tea. Construction crews are working on a new McAlister’s Deli at 27th and Iowa streets, according to information from a city building permit. The Mississippi-based restaurant chain, according to its Web site, has a menu of more than 100 items, including sandwiches, baked potatoes and desserts. But the chain particularly highlights its sweetened tea, which it says is a southern delicacy. The restaurant will occupy a portion of the former Ed Marling’s furniture store at the northwest corner of 27th and Iowa. Craig Bothwell, the franchisee for McAlister’s, said the company wanted to enter the Lawrence market because it has traditionally done well in college towns. A tentative opening date for the store is Oct. 13. The store would be the company’s fourth in the state. Currently the deli chain has two stores in Wichita and one in Manhattan. The 27th and Iowa intersection has the look of an area that may have more development on the way. A “sold” sign is in front of the Plum Tree Chinese restaurant building. No word yet on what may be going in there. But the building is adjacent to a vacant lot (it used to house a Mazzio’s pizza) that is being marketed for development. What would you like to see at that corner? ¢¢¢ Speaking of building permit numbers, the latest report from the city contains some good news. Builders in July took out building permits for $29.4 million worth of projects, the highest total yet in 2008. But it would be a stretch to say the numbers signal a turnaround in the downtrodden construction industry. One project accounted for nearly $21 million of the monthly total. The project is The Exchange, a 324-unit apartment complex at the southeast intersection of 31st and Ousdahl. Work has begun on 14 apartment buildings and a clubhouse for the complex. The complex will be marketed to students – and will feature a “resort-style” design – developers told city commissioners in December. Building permits for new single family homes continued to be well below historical levels. The city issued six single family permits in July, and have issued 53 for all of 2008. The city’s historical average is around 300 single family permits per year.