Mysterious Google Barge's New Home: Port Of Stockton
STOCKTON (CBS13) — The mysterious Google barge now docked in the San Francisco Bay may be headed to Stockton, but even that remains a bit of a mystery.
Rumors have been flying, and word came down late on Wednesday that the mysterious Google Barge is on the move, and its destination and new home may come as a surprise to some.
Even though most people we talked to had never heard of it, they're welcoming the Google Barge with open arms in Stockton.
"I think it's going to give an impression on the people, and maybe bring the value of what people think of Stockton, so I think it's a good idea," Stockton resident Jesse Hernandez said.
Once complete, the barge is billed as a floating, four-story interactive showcase of new technology. It's been docked at Treasure Island for months, but there was one big problem:
Google never applied for a permit to construct the barge.
So instead of going through the work of getting the permit, Google instead opted to find a new home to finish the project.
The city of Richmond was hopeful, but the director of the Treasure Island Development Authority—the agency that leased the dock for the project—confirmed the new home will be the Port of Stockton.
We found only one person who heard the barge was on the way.
"I think it would create some job opportunities and some revenue," said Ryan Carter.
Port officials have already indicated a strong interest, with the port director telling KCBS Radio he'd love to have Google in Stockton, calling them a great company. He stopped short of calling it a done deal.
When the barge will arrive is still a small mystery, but we're told it'll be sometime next week.