STONE HARBOR – Property transfer records from the Cape May County Clerk’s Office for the week of Jan. 10-16 showed the completed purchase of Smuggler’s Cove in Stone Harbor to Rockwell Smugs LLC.
The bayside property on 83rd Street had been an iconic business in the borough, serving as a bait and tackle shop, marina, marine fuel stop, and general location for tips and assistance with all things related to fishing and boating.
In 2019, there was a push by some on the Borough Council to have the borough consider the purchase of the property. In a 4-to-2 vote, the council rejected the idea and the property entered the real estate market.
Smuggler’s Cove became such an important part of the borough’s history over the half-century of its existence that in 2007, the borough’s governing body, by resolution, directed the tax assessor to rename the North Basin to Smuggler’s Cove on the official tax map.
According to the transfer record, the property commanded a $2.5 million price. Borough Construction Official Raymond Poudrier informed the council in April 2021 that his office had been presented with plans for a residential duplex on the site.
A Facebook post at the closing of the business that ran from 1973 to 2020 stated, “Had a good run. Oh, Baby!” A good run indeed.
