You read that right: Google is helping to fund an affordable housing project in Allston.

At first, we thought there must be some sort of cyber catch — like, perhaps, how Google had discovered a rich vein of rare-earth materials underneath the surface of Allston or how it was building as vast underground communications center in exchange for rebuilding the Charlesview apartments.

Nope, it’s a straightforward real-estate deal. Google is taking advantage of a federal tax-credit program.

These are strange times in our country’s economic history.

A Denver company plans to break ground on an 11-story apartment and retail complex right across the street from TD Garden in Boston

The development, called The Victor, will include 286 apartment units, high-end restaurants and parking spaces in the Bulfinch Triangle area.

Though it’s far from being boom time, there are a number of construction projects finally getting off the ground in Boston — and more are in the pipeline. This is all good news. Now let’s all cross our fingers that it lasts.

Here’s encouraging news: Historic Boston Inc. is going to restore and then divide up into five housing units the old Kittredge mansion in Roxbury. The Globe has an interesting story this morning on the $2.8 million project.

Monday, the non-profit Historic Boston Inc. is holding an open house at the Greek-revival mansion, between 5 and 7 p.m.

File under: Cool

Here’s a depressing story on how difficult it is to get developments through Boston’s (and the state’s) tortuous zoning, legal and building-permit stages.

It’s technically a classic NIMBY tale, but recent court decisions now make a proposed South Boston housing/art studio project a possible test case on whether building opponents can sue, at any time, to stop developments if projects wreck their views in any way. They’re now called “view-based” legal arguments.

Well, our view is that nothing will ever get built if projects can be nixed exclusively on “view-based” grounds.

But what’s your view of views and view-based arguments?

It took years of arguments, but plans to build more than 200 affordable housing units in Allston have finally gotten approval.

The AFL-CIO is kicking in $58.2 million toward construction of the new Charlesview Residences, which will replace the old nearby Charlesview Apartments.

Harvard University wants to use the older site for other development purposes. But previous Harvard plans have gone down in flames due to intense neighborhood opposition. It seems this latest plan has finally cleared all the hurdles.

File under: If at first you don’t succeed …