You know that mysterious barge Google was building in the San Francisco bay? The one that many of us had thought was a retail store, or something else? Well it appears that Google didn’t have all the necessary permits to build it and have been ordered to take it down. According to the Associated Press, a Google spokesperson wrote “We just received the letter from the San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission and we are reviewing it”.
The SFBCDC stated that Google can continue construction on the barge if it is relocated to a permitted facility. While details of the barge did leak out last fall, which was because it’s a pretty large barge. It’s a 50-foot stack of shipping containers under construction with tight security floating off of Treasure Island, which is in the middle of the San Francisco Bay. Google’s comment towards that leak was that “Although it’s still early days and things may change, we’re exploring using the barge as an interactive space where people can learn about new technology.” But it looks like that is being put on hold for now thanks to the San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission.
Hopefully Google will either get the appropriate permits or move the barge over elsewhere so we can continue to see what Google has planned with that barge. It would be cool if it turned into a retail store. But then again, who knows what Google had planned with the barge. As they are always interested in doing weird things. Just look at Project Loon, which was basically their way of getting the internet in more households using balloons. Seems kind of weird, but it might actually work. Hopefully we’ll learn more about this barge soon, as long as Google can continue working on it.