If George Lucas thought he was free of NIMBYism and aesthetic snobbery when he decided to relocate his planned Lucas Museum of Narrative Art to Chicago last month, he was wrong. Open-space advocates in the Windy City are promising to sue over the Lucas museum plan, as The Hollywood Reporter is reporting, because the land that Mayor Rahm Emanuel offered up, adjacent to Soldier Field along the lakefront is supposed to be preserved as open space according to a city ordinance.

They say the plan for the 95,000-square-foot museum, which would house Lucas's growing collection of movie posters, memorabilia, and graphic art by the likes of Maxfield Parrish and Norman Rockwell, violates "city ordinances that were designed to preserve space adjacent to Lake Michigan for public use." Also, Bears fans are potentially impacted because the surface parking lots in questions are vital for NFL tailgating.

This is, of course, hilarious, because Lucas decided to snub San Francisco in June after the Presidio Trust snubbed him — deciding not to accept his proposal for the Sports Basement property next to Crissy Field — and after Mayor Lee offered up the waterfront property at Piers 30-32, originally slated for the Warriors Arena. Lucas chose Chicago's offer after spending considerable time in the city in recent years with his new wife, Mellody Hobson, who resides there.

Looks like there are NIMBYs and anti-development people in every city, George. And they don't want your $1 billion museum either.

[Hollywood Reporter]
[Rolling Stone]

Previously: Middle Finger Raised To S.F., George Lucas Takes His $700 Million Museum To Chicago