By NEAL WAGNER / Managing Editor

ALABASTER – Alabaster will finish 2015 with its highest number – by far – of new homes since the national economic downturn hit several years ago, according to reports recently released by the city’s Department of Building Safety.

During a Nov. 23 City Council meeting, Ward 7 Councilman Tommy Ryals delivered positive news for the city’s housing market while giving the year-to-date report from the Building Safety Department.

In October, the department issued three new home building permits for homes valued at a total of $889,307.96, bringing the year-to-date total to 85 new home permits valued at a total of $22.3 million at the end of October.

Through the first 10 months of 2014, the Building Department had issued 62 new home building permits valued at a total of $13.9 million.

Alabaster’s housing market has seen a steady increase over the last several years, and has already topped year-end numbers from 2010-2014. The 85 new home permits already issued this year is nearly triple the 2010 and 2011 year-end numbers of 29 and 30, respectively.

In the commercial building sector, the department’s number of new commercial buildings remained the same from last month at nine permits valued at a total of about $13.5 million. In comparison, the city had issued only three new commercial building permits valued at $3 million through the first 10 months of 2014.

The number of commercial addition and remodel permits is up from last year, but the value of those projects is slightly down. Through the end of October of this year, the department had issued 70 commercial addition and remodel permits for projects valued at about $6.9 million, compared to 28 permits valued at about $8.3 million during the same period last year.