It looks like Chicago will may not be celebrating May the Forth without a bittersweet smirk directed toward our beautiful Museum Campus area.
‘In a land far far away’ is where ‘Star Wars’ creator George Lucas and officials associated with the Lucas Museum of Narrative Arts may take their long-planned institution, amid a federal lawsuit with the organization Friends of the Park based on a report today by the Chicago Tribune. The area where the Lucas Museum group has been attempting acquire for development would fall in a parking lot right off Lake Michigan in between the McCormick Place and Solider Field. The massive facility with massive pop culture collection would also add more green space to the area, and be a compliment for those attending events at conventions and sports as well those visiting the near by Field Museum, Shedd Aquarium, Adler Planetarium, and First Merit Bank Pavillon. In a hearing held Tuesday, the Friends of Park maintained that area is within the public trust and they will oppose any future developments in the area. The City of Chicago and the Chicago Park District pulled out of the legal process connected to the original site that has been contested in the case.
“This process has been co-opted and hijacked by a small special interest group.” said Melody Hobson, the chief financial executive behind the proposed project and wife of George Lucas. Hobson made clear that the Lucas Museum would be “seriously pursuing locations outside of Chicago.” Though she did not directly say whether or not the Lucas Museum would officially leave, Hobson stated if it does that Friends of the Park would responsible for it. She also added that nearly $2 billion dollars to the local economy with jobs and revenue.
No matter who you think to blame here, it’s really sad that some city that is not as wonderful as Chicago is going to get the Millennium Falcon spaceship and all the treasures of LucasFilm. In this 2013 interview with CBS News, Lucas showed off some of his massive and elaborate collection of art and movie treasures that would hypothetically be a part of this museum.
-Kevin
