'Star Wars' Creator George Lucas Eyes Moving Museum Project Away from Chicago

According to The Chicago Tribune, the officials behind George Lucas' planned museum in lakeside Chicago confirmed last Wednesday they are looking for new venues for the project. They are considering other sites within Chicago as well as different cities. 

Lucas has been trying to build a Narrative Arts Museum for years. While the city has been supportive of the project, a lawsuit by the Friends of the Parks organization threatens to halt construction in its planned location.

Attorneys fear the suit could endanger the entire project. Reps for Lucas' interests aren't commenting about sites or cities being considered.

While the lawsuit proceeds, the city of Chicago is trying to move the $300 million project forward --  the museum is seen as a revenue generator and potential landmark..

Friends of the Parks, an organization that agrees with the museum as an idea but opposes its planned location, suggested a new spot for Lucas' project: on a deck above rail yards on the west of Lake Shore Drive, calling for a construction similar to that of the Millennium Park.

"If it makes sense to build a parking garage on that site, why not just build the whole campus there? It's not part of the public trust doctrine. It's not affected by that. It's on the west side of Lake Shore Drive. Why not just put it there and all of this trouble would go away?" Juanita Irizarry, the current executive director of Friends of the Parks, told The Chicago Sun Times.

Plans for the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art include built-in theaters, a library and an observation deck. The disputed location is between Soldier Field and McCormick Place.

Introducing the cutting-edge design concept for the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art. https://t.co/ykYjHk9D1z pic.twitter.com/u67QhljXmY

— Lucas Museum (@lucasmuseum) November 3, 2014