{"id":7679,"date":"2015-02-27T07:18:08","date_gmt":"2015-02-27T13:18:08","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/news.medill.northwestern.edu\/chicago\/?p=7679"},"modified":"2015-03-01T20:08:58","modified_gmt":"2015-03-02T02:08:58","slug":"controversy-over-lucas-museum-continues","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/news.medill.northwestern.edu\/chicago\/controversy-over-lucas-museum-continues\/","title":{"rendered":"Controversy over Lucas Museum continues"},"content":{"rendered":"

by Constantina Kokenes<\/p>\n

Plans to build the large Lucas Museum of Narrative Art on Chicago\u2019s lakefront near McCormick Place have been controversial since filmmaker George Lucas decided to place his museum in Chicago last June. Though lawsuits have been filed, the museum was not a major issue in this month\u2019s aldermanic campaigns. Candidates for alderman in the 4th<\/sup> Ward, where the museum would be built, vary in their response to the museums.<\/p>\n

The\u00a0candidates touched on the issue during their campaigns before Tuesday\u2019s elections.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\u201cIf we continue to give up public land for private usage, where or when will it stop?\u201d<\/p>\n

– Norman Bolden, 4th Ward alderman candidate<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Although elections have ended, conversation is still hoped for by the winning candidate.<\/p>\n

Deputy campaign manager and senior strategist for alderman candidate Tracey Bey objectively looked at the museum\u2019s possible lakefront location.<\/p>\n

\u201cAny time we have a chance to showcase Chicago is great,\u201d Paul Ogwal, 32, said. \u201cBut I think we also need to be mindful of where we build structures and how it affects the overall community.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ogwal believes rather than a filing a lawsuit, the importance lies in conversation.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe still need to look for other options to place the museum,\u201d Ogwal said. \u201cLet\u2019s bring Friends of the Parks together, let\u2019s bring community members, let\u2019s bring those involved with the museum and talk about the pros and cons.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ogwal believes open forums for discussion of the location are vital when choosing the location.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s not a museum for the alderman. It\u2019s not for the 4th<\/sup> ward. It\u2019s not for the mayor,\u201d Ogwal said. \u201cIt\u2019s going to affect the community, so we really need to hear that voice.\u201d<\/p>\n

Although he could not be reached for comment, current Alderman Will Burns has supported the museum in the past<\/a>. Burns won the aldermanic race Tuesday with 55 percent of the vote.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Lucas Museum will be a great addition to Chicago\u2019s popular museum campus,\u201d Burns said in a press release issued by Mayor Rahm Emmanuel\u2019s office in June. \u201cIt will complement the city\u2019s offering of educational resources and provide meaningful opportunities for community partnerships, serving as valued asset, not only to its neighbors but to the city at large.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Lucas<\/a>
The Lucas Museum of Narrative Art has been in the works since June 2014. Opposition of the possible location has temporarily halted construction. (NASA, Constantina Kokenes\/Medill)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

On the other hand, alderman candidate Normal Bolden vehemently opposes the proposed lakefront location, agreeing with the Friends of the Parks lawsuit.<\/p>\n

\u201cI am not in support of private entities utilizing public land for private [innovation],\u201d Bolden said.<\/p>\n

However, he said the larger issue is the closed-doors decision-making.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere must be inclusion. There must be conversation with the community,\u201d Bolden said. \u201cIt\u2019s public land. The public has to be a part of the process, and that is one big issue that we have currently in the 4th<\/sup> ward.\u201d<\/p>\n

Bolden suggested the museum relocate to space owned by the city rather than the state. He said that choosing the lakefront could lead to harsh, unforeseeable consequences.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf we continue to give up public land for private usage,\u201d he said, \u201cwhere or when will it stop?\u201d<\/p>\n

The museum\u2019s projected location between McCormick Place and Soldier Field faces opposition with some Chicago residents, most notably the group Friends of the Parks.<\/p>\n

Friends of the Parks filed a federal lawsuit in November<\/a> against the city to prevent building the museums on the lakefront. The group could not be reached for comment, but in the past, it has opposed the location, not the museum itself. The lawsuit argues the lakefront is public property owned by the state of Illinois and cannot be turned over to a private operator.<\/p>\n

\"lawsuit\"<\/a>
Friends of the Parks filed a lawsuit against the city in early November 2014. The group advocates its opposition to the possible location rather than the museum itself. The lawsuit is met with opposition and threats of moving the museum to California. (Crain’s Chicago, Constantina Kokenes\/Medill)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

A first opening hearing<\/a> of the lawsuit is scheduled for Thursday, March 12. A federal judge will rule on City Hall\u2019s motion to dismiss the suit.<\/p>\n

Press contact for the museum, Kate LeFurgy, had no comment about the lawsuit.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe remain committed and focused to Chicago,\u201d LeFurgy said.<\/p>\n

Despite the museum\u2019s continued interest in the Windy City, neither the museum nor city officials have initiated public discussion about the location.<\/p>\n

When asked if it was possible for the museum to be moved elsewhere in Chicago, LeFurgy had no comment.<\/p>\n

Photo at top: South view rendering of the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art on Museum Campus. The museum’s projected opening is 2018-19. (LMNA)<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

by Constantina Kokenes Plans to build the large Lucas Museum of Narrative Art on Chicago\u2019s lakefront near McCormick Place have been controversial since filmmaker George Lucas decided to place his museum in Chicago last June. Though lawsuits have been filed, the museum was not a major issue in this month\u2019s aldermanic campaigns. Candidates for alderman […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":118,"featured_media":7723,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[194,321,30,243],"tags":[332,333,61,331,335,330,336,334],"class_list":["post-7679","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-arts-culture","category-election2015","category-public-affairs","category-winter-2015","tag-4th-ward","tag-architecture","tag-chicago","tag-george-lucas","tag-lakefront","tag-lucas-museum","tag-museum","tag-museum-campus"],"yoast_head":"\nControversy over Lucas Museum continues - Medill Reports Chicago<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/news.medill.northwestern.edu\/chicago\/controversy-over-lucas-museum-continues\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Controversy over Lucas Museum continues - Medill Reports Chicago\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"by Constantina Kokenes Plans to build the large Lucas Museum of Narrative Art on Chicago\u2019s lakefront near McCormick Place have been controversial since filmmaker George Lucas decided to place his museum in Chicago last June. 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