State agency investigating Google barge construction

The San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission has launched an investigation into the construction of Google’s mysterious barge.

The state agency is charged with monitoring development of San Francisco Bay. The probe apparently began within the past week, according a report from Reuters.

After immense secrecy around the project, Google acknowledged that the barge is to be used as some kind of showroom for new technologies.

In this case, the agency is not looking at how Google will eventually use the structure, but whether the proper permits have been obtained to allow for its construction on Treasure Island in the middle of the bay.

“We want to make sure that the permits that are used by the owners of the pier actually allowed for construction to happen,” Larry Goldzband, the agency’s executive director, told Reuters news service on Wednesday.

He also described the effort as “a preliminary and formal enforcement investigation.”

The barge is made up of steel shipping containers stacked four high. After the vessel came to light, it prompted wide-ranging speculation about what it could be and why it was shrouded in secrecy.

Eventually, documents emerged indicating it was for entertainment and artistic purposes, with possible use as a retail store for some kind for new gadgets like Google Glass.

If it wants to keep a floating store parked in one spot on the San Francisco waterfront for an extended period, Google would have to obtain additional permits from the conservation agency.

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