Does the George Lucas Museum belong on Chicago’s lakefront or in a galaxy far, far away?

Does the George Lucas Museum belong on Chicago’s lakefront or in a galaxy far, far away?
Does the George Lucas Museum belong on Chicago’s lakefront or in a galaxy far, far away?

Does the George Lucas Museum belong on Chicago’s lakefront or in a galaxy far, far away?

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This morning, Friends of the Park filed a lawsuit to block the proposed George Lucas museum from being built on Chicago’s lakefront.They’re saying that a decision to put a giant structure like the Lucas Museum of narrative art right on the lakefront can’t be justified under the public trust doctrine.The suit contends that the proposed site sits on reclaimed waterways and therefore can’t be given to a private entity for private use. It’s an interesting argument,and it falls on the heels of mounting pressure from the likes of the Chicago Tribune op-ed pages who wrote that the museum should stay away from the lakefront. The city has promised public hearings on the issue. We’re taking some time today to hold our own public hearing. WBEZ friend and colleague Lee Bey joins us in studio to discuss whether or not the George Lucas Museum belongs in Chicago. Lee is an architecture critic and former Beyond the Boat Tour blogger for us. He also spent time in the planning department back in the Daley administration.