Maybe it’s sign of economic recovery. Maybe it’s just talk.

But after suspending many of its ambitious Allston development plans following the 2008 Wall Street collapse, Harvard is once again showing signs of resuming construction projects in the Boston neighborhood. First up: Construction of a “Harvard Square-like” retail center at the corner of Western Avenue and North Harvard Street, also known as “Barry’s Corner.”

The plan includes new rental housing units, presumably for Harvard grad students.

Neighbors are rightly suspicious. They’ve heard it all before. But sooner or later the university has to find a way to make use for all the Allston properties it gobbled up in recent decades.

File under: Class project

Most attention has been focused on the giant hole left by the halt in construction at the Filene’s block in Downtown Crossing. But there’s another giant hole in the ground in Boston: The Allston site where Harvard has temporarily abandoned construction on its new massive life-sciences center.

Now comes Senate candidate Steve Pagliuca, who has proposed a plan to restart construction in Allston — and it’s winning praise from both Harvard and Allston residents.

Anyone who knows about the Allston project also knows there’s no love lost between neighborhood residents and Harvard. So getting them to agree on anything is in itself a pretty amazing achievement.

The state and city should study Pagliuca’s idea closely, and not just dismiss it as campaign rhetoric (though it’s obviously campaign rhetoric to a certain extent). There’s too much at stake to ignore the idea.

The entire section of Allston abutting the Charles River is hurting — and it’s largely due Harvard’s slow development of the area. From a real estate standpoint, the area is a hard sell, considering all the unknowns surrounding Harvard’s plans.

File under: Just do it.

A blog reader requested price information on two bedroom condos for his daughter who will be attending BU.

Allston – Two bedroom condos
Avg sales price – $329,843
Median sales price – $300,843
Avg price per sq ft – $432.00

Brighton – Two bedroom condos
Avg. sales price – $334,567.00
Median sales price – $299,450
Avg. price per sq ft – $364

Fenway – two bedroom condos
Avg. sales price – $479,867
Median sales price – $445,000
Avg. price per sq ft- $530

Source: LINK