Mystery Google Barge Booted From San Francisco Bay

A barge built with four levels of shipping containers is seen at Pier 1 at Treasure Island in San Francisco, California October 28, 2013. REUTERS/Stephen Lam

The mystery Google barge that has been under construction at San Francisco Bay’s Treasure Island has been given the boot.

Rumors flew in October of last year over the barges purpose and ranged from Google’s patented floating data center to an uber-exclusive showroom for the company’s new Google Glass. The barge, made of shipping containers stacked four stories high, was ultimately revealed by Google as a technology showroom, at least for now.

Not only did the mysterious barge raise eyebrows of curious media and tech junkies, but also California officials who questioned whether or not its construction had the appropriate permits. A formal investigation was launched in December by the San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission, which determined that it was actually not properly permitted and ordered the barge to be relocated.

The barge, formally known as BAL0010, is now being moved to the port of Stockton where Google has reportedly worked out a six-month lease, according to media reports.