Sakonnet Point Club buys former Cove Market

Plans still uncertain for future use of abutting property

By Bruce Burdett
Posted 1/23/20

LITTLE COMPTON — The Sakonnet Point Club has purchased the lot and house next door, buying itself both an extension of its Sakonnet Harbor waterfront and some much needed elbow room.

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Sakonnet Point Club buys former Cove Market

Plans still uncertain for future use of abutting property

Posted

LITTLE COMPTON — The Sakonnet Point Club has purchased the lot and house next door, buying itself both an extension of its Sakonnet Harbor waterfront and some much needed elbow room.

The club paid $870,000 for the 7 Bluff Head Avenue house, once home to the former Cove Market, and its .55 acre lot which, like the club, fronts the harbor and offers fine views, particularly to the north across the harbor and up the Sakonnet River.

The seller is listed as Bluff Head II Corp. While he did not name them, Sakonnet Point Club President Scott Morrison said, “Members of the same family owned the property for about 30 years.”

Mr. Morrison said that club leadership had had discussions for several years about purchasing the property “and the two sides finally got to a price that both of us felt was fair. The board of SPC was unanimous and enthusiastic on the decision.”

The club has no immediate plans for use of the property, but Mr. Morrison said obtaining the property immediately to the east of the club was important — the listing for the property mentioned that “Cove Market can be used as a mixed use commercial property.”

  • “Controlling it has significant strategic benefit to the club” Mr. Morrison said. “The property is the only contiguous property to the club’s current lot.  We  … will be working in the coming months to see to what use we may be able to put it.  Regulators and budgets will ultimately define what we can do with it, but we will be examining whether we can use the property to create redundancy for our water and power systems, increase office space and storage, and provide additional member benefits.  For now, we have gained a number of additional parking spaces.”
  • The sales listing for the property said: “The Cove Market (is) a Sakonnet Point landmark currently being used as a summer escape. Enjoy waterfront views off the decks of Sakonnet Harbor or out towards Newport and the Lighthouse. Many possibilities with this waterfront opportunity.” 
  • The 2,530-square foot house (the building dates back to 1940, a couple of years after the 1938 Hurricane destroyed almost everything on the point) has three bedrooms and two baths.

Contributors to Sakonnet Point Perspectives recalled that the Cove Market was owned by Elsie Johnson and that you could find ice cream, sandwiches, newspapers, candy and even sneakers there.

At that time, the property now occupied by the Sakonnet Point Club was home to the former Fo’c’sle Restaurant.

The club also owns Lot 433, the undeveloped lot across Bluff Head from the clubhouse, property that is used for the club’s parking and boat dry storage racks. 

In all, the club now holds 2.59 acres at the point: 11 Bluff Head Avenue (where the clubhouse sits) is .64 acres; Lot 433 is 1.40 acres; and 7 Bluff Head Avenue is .55 acres.

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