George Lucas has been attempting to build a proposed $1.5 billion museum (bankrolled by Lucas himself), that would celebrate the history of film, comics, and other “narrative art,” but the filmmaker is having difficulties actually finding somewhere to put it. The museum was most recently slated to be built in Chicago, but a disagreement between Chicago’s City Hall and Friends of the Parks (FOTP), an interest group that has objected to both of the proposed sites for the museum, has taken the city off the table.
“In light of extensive delays caused by FOTP, Chicago no longer will be considered a potential site,” said a statement from the Lucas Museum planners.
“No one benefits from continuing [FOTP’s] seemingly unending litigation to protect a parking lot,” said Lucas himself. Lucas had previously wanted to build the museum in San Francisco and Los Angeles, but he was met with rodblocks in both of those cities as well.
“It’s an epic act of generosity and altruism,” says Don Bacigalupi, the president of the proposed museum.“George Lucas, as with any person of great resources and great success, could choose to do whatever he wants to do with his resources, and he has chosen to give an extraordinary gift to the people of a city and the world.”
