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Google Barge bids farewell to San Francisco, to make Stockton its new California home

Still think of the Google Barge as a wacky idea from a company that makes more money than it knows what to do with? Well, Mountain View will soon prove that a floating building has its merits: for one, when the company gets in trouble with authorities, it can get the hell out of dodge... literally. According to CNET, the vessel is slated to set sail to Stockton, California, after it was discovered in early February that it didn't have a construction permit in San Francisco. The barge is still a work in progress (hence the need for the proper paperwork), but once it's done, it will showcase the company's more avant-garde creations like Glass, autonomous cars and other projects from Google X's lab.

Google's moving because the 35-day window it got from the San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission to secure a permit is almost up. Without the permit, Google's liable to be fined up to $30,000. Clearly, even though 30 grand is pocket change for the tech giant, it chose to pack its bags and finish construction in friendlier waters (read: outside BCDC's jurisdiction). A rep from the Treasure Island neighborhood (where the barge is currently moored) said the vessel could leave as soon as next week, and since Stockton's just on the other side of the bay from SF, it'll be there in no time. Fingers crossed that Google can now focus on finishing construction, because we can't wait to confirm if the barge's party deck exists.