Developer plans 40 townhomes next to Rye’s Airfield Place

RYE — Forty townhouses may be built on land adjacent to Airfield Place on Route 1, as proposed in a purchase and sale agreement.

The Kane Company, a Portsmouth real estate investment and development company, is under agreement to buy the property, which was formerly home of the Rye Airfield skatepark, pending town approval of the residential development.

The 60,000-square-foot Airfield Place, the former skatepark building, is now home to a pickleball club, fitness center, climbing gym, physical therapy clinic and other businesses. Kane Company's plan calls for leaving the commercial building in place and building the townhomes on one of two adjacent vacant lots.

The entire property, totaling 23.9 acres, was listed for sale for $10 million in 2025. It was previously purchased for $5.5 million by Jay Jacobs in 2021 after the skatepark closed.

Kane Co. wants to move fast on townhomes

“It’s not something we’re looking to sit and wait on,” said Patrick Noone, chief development officer for The Kane Company. “We’re looking to be moving forward imminently on it.”

The development would be located off the parking lot outside of Airfield Place. The commercial building housing the pickleball club, fitness center and other businesses would not be touched and all tenants would remain, according to Noone.

The preliminary plan calls for 10 residential buildings, each with four townhouses. The townhouses would be constructed in an area abutting wetlands, though outside of the buffer zone.

Each townhouse would have two to three bedrooms, said Noone. All would be listed for sale, though in accordance with town zoning policy, at least 20% of the units will be priced at workforce housing rates.

Rye Planning Board consulted on project

Kane Company's first step was a preliminary consultation with the Rye Planning Board on Tuesday, Aug. 11. The company has not filed an official proposal with the town planning department.

Neil Hansen, a project manager at Tighe & Bond, represented Kane Company at the board’s meeting.

“We’d like to get the board’s feedback on this development,” Hansen said. “We also are planning on reaching out to the abutters.”

Each unit would come with its own driveway and a garage, Hansen told the board.

The town’s building department recommended that each townhouse have its own septic tank.

“It’s a project that we’re really excited about. We’re looking forward to continuing to collaborate with the Planning Board on how it advances,” Noone said.

The Kane Company was advised to discuss the proposal with the Rye Water District. Incorporating initial feedback from the town, The Kane Company expects to formally propose the project in the fall.

The three lots at 6 Airfield Drive, including the multi-tenant commercial building, were last assessed by the town at just shy of $5.7 million combined.

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