By NEAL WAGNER / City Editor

Twelve days before the end of 2013, Alabaster had already issued more new home building permits than it had at the end of 2012, according to city Department of Building Safety data.

Through Dec. 19, the city had issued a total of 60 new home building permits since the beginning of the year. The 60 new homes represented a more than $12 million investment in the city, according to city data.

The city issued a total of 59 permits in 2012, 30 permits in 2011 and 29 in 2010.

Alabaster’s number of residential housing permits took a nosedive after the nationwide economic downturn hit in 2008. Alabaster went from a high of 354 new housing permits in 2004 before ending the year with 100 in 2008 and 48 in 2009.

The city’s number of new commercial building permits has taken a hit in 2013 compared to previous years. Through Dec. 19, the city had issued six new commercial building permits, compared with a total of 22 in 2012, 53 in 2011 and 51 in 2010.

Alabaster’s commercial permit high came in 2007, when the city issued 125 permits.

The six new commercial building permits issued in 2013 marked a more than $22.8 million investment in the city.