Popular Boston restaurant seeks to expand outdoor seating with floating barge

BOSTON — The ownership of a popular waterfront restaurant in Boston is seeking to expand with the addition of a new floating barge, according to a new proposal.

The Barking Crab at 88 Sleeper Street is looking to build a 1,900-square-foot steel barge along the existing docks that are connected to the restaurant in an effort to increase outdoor dining capacity, Poseidon Enterprises said in a proposed environmental impact report.

This new project calls for the floating barge to be placed within the western shore of the Fort Point Channel between Seaport Boulevard and Northern Avenue.

Atop the barge deck, a metal-framed canopy support system will be constructed, and chairs, tables, and other appurtenances will be placed to provide seating for restaurant patrons, according to the proposal. Additionally, the barge will include self-contained restroom facilities.

The Barking Crab currently operates in a 9,736-square-foot space and it attracts thousands of customers each day.

The proposed barge will require a waterways license and Poseidon Enterprises is petitioning the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection to obtain one.

The project will also be reviewed by the Boston Conservation Commission under the Wetlands Protection Act and the Boston Wetlands Ordinance.

Ownership said the barge wouldn’t be used during coastal storms.

Read the full proposal below:

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