A remodeling of Sears and construction work on a long-awaited downtown condominium project helped boost Lawrence building permit totals to the highest levels of the year in May.

City officials issued permits for projects valued at $16.45 million in May, up from $8.93 million in April and $9.58 million in May 2003.

The total was the largest one-month tally of the year, but was largely driven by a single project — the Hobbs Taylor Lofts, which took out $9 million worth of permits for its condominium, office and retail development at the northeast corner of Eighth and New Hampshire streets. The project is expected to be complete in about a year.

May’s numbers, though, continued to show overall building totals are lagging 2003 numbers. Builders took out permits for 23 new single-family homes, up from 16 in April but down from 30 a year earlier. For the year to date, builders have started 109 homes, down from 134 during the same five-month period a year ago. This year’s total also is well below the five-year average of 148 housing starts during the period.

The total value of construction projects in the city also is down. Through May, the city has issued permits for $47.48 million worth of projects. That’s down from $67.81 million a year ago and a five-year average of $57.04 million.