There has been a lot of hullabaloo over the last few months about a huge, four-story barge floating in San Francisco Bay owned by Google Inc (NASDAQ:GOOG). The latest in the story is that, according to the Associated Press, Google Inc (NASDAQ:GOOG) does not have all of the required permits for its “mystery barge” floating in the SF Bay, and was told Monday by state officials that it must move the giant floating building.
Statements from parties involved
“It needs to move,” said Larry Goldzband, executive director of the San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission, in an interview on Monday
A Google Inc (NASDAQ:GOOG) spokesperson contacted by the media said the company had “just received the letter from the San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission and we are reviewing it.” Further details on the company’s plans should be available within a couple of days.
Lack of proper permits
It turns out that Google Inc (NASDAQ:GOOG) apparently did not quite dot all its “i”s and cross all its “t”s when it moved the barge into the bay last year. The San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission has investigated several complaints about the barge and determined that neither the Treasure Island Development Authority nor the city of San Francisco had permits necessary for the work to be done at the site and may face fines or other enforcement proceedings.
Theories on Google’s mystery barge
The media has had a field day over the last few months guessing about the purpose of the huge barge. Early theories included a floating server farm or a solar power technology lab or a location for super-secret parties, but Google Inc (NASDAQ:GOOG) finally cleared things up in mid-November by announcing its tentative intentions for the floating barge. “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,” according to the company statement.
