The Kane Co. and PROCON have abandoned their plans to build an air cargo facility at Portsmouth’s Pease International Tradeport, and are instead planning a high-tech factory for their development parcel at the airport and industrial park. 

The Pease Development Authority’s members unanimously backed the concept at their October meeting the Portsmouth Herald reported. The project still has to face review by Portsmouth officials. 

The over 209,000-square-foot plant will be what’s known as an “advanced manufacturing” facility, a factory where production is driven by robots. The development partners are betting on a desire by American companies to onshore manufacturing in the face of trade barriers and shipping bottlenecks, the Herald reported. No tenant has yet been selected pending approval of the development. 

The earlier air cargo project had faced significant community opposition over the extra flights it was likely to generate.