Winn, which owns the three parcels that comprise the Village Square business district, originally wanted to build a 125 foot biomedical building on one of the parcels. The other two buildings at this location consist of a medical office building and a day care center and they won't be impacted by the new zoning because they are fully developed.

The height and the density of Winn's original proposal were a concern to some residents and, while a majority approved the zoning change, the plan failed to get the required 2/3's vote. At the time Roger Cassin, managing partner of Winn Development, is quoted in local published reports as saying that he would not pursue the proposed redevelopment project.

Cassin did not return calls by deadline, but Jeff Levine, assistant director of the planning and community development department of Brookline, tells GlobeSt.com that the developer was impressed at the level of support the project had among residents. When it failed to pass, he says, residents approached the developer about pursuing the project, which could bring in an estimated $900,000 to one million dollars annually in taxes.