'Friends Of The Lucas Museum' Rally To Show Last-Ditch Support

By Rachel Cromidas in Arts & Entertainment on May 19, 2016 7:54PM

Though plans to put the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art on Chicago's lakefront appear to be dead in the water, a group of supports rallied Thursday afternoon to push Friends of the Parks to withdraw their opposition to the museum.

The rally drew some diehard fans of the Star Wars franchise, but according to the Tribune many were organized by Rev. Leon Finney of the Metropolitan Apostolic Community Church, who sees the Lucas Museum as a much-needed source of jobs and money for the city. The rally was held outside the offices of Friends of the Parks, the public park preservation-focused group that has sued the city to keep the Lucas Museum away from Soldier Field and rejected secondary plans for the museum to go up at McCormick Place.

While the city is tied up in the lawsuit, Lucas Museum officials are back to talking to San Francisco leaders about putting the museum, devoted to celebrating the history storytelling and the filmmaking of George Lucas, there. Juanita Irizarry, executive director of Friends of the Parks, has said that there are many places in Chicago that Lucas could select as the site of the museum that don't require the city to violate the public trust by giving away or selling public parkland. The city's current plans for the Lucas Museum would allow Lucas to lease the parkland for $10 for 99 years and the option to extend the lease for 297 years.

In the meantime, ralliers are urging Friends of the Parks to reconsider. According to the Tribune:

"It's important that Friends of the Parks come over to be our allies, rather than being Public Enemy No. 1," Finney said. "Get out of the way. Stop the delay!"

Earlier this month, ten Chicago museum directors—some of whom represent museums on public park land themselves—penned letters in support of the Lucas Museum in the Sun-Times.