The barge has been sold and the four-story structure will be dismantled, along with Portland’s hope for a new claim to fame.

The so-called Google barge, once envisioned as a floating showroom for Google Glass and other high-tech gadgets, is heading for a less glamorous future now that the structure on top of it is destined for the scrap yard.

It’s a pitiful end for a great mystery that generated national attention when the strange-looking barge was towed into Portland Harbor last October.Google "High Tech" Barge Heading For The Scrap Yard [pressherald.com]

It’s unclear why Google abandoned the project. The company did not reply to an email inquiry sent to its press office Thursday.