Real friends of Chicago’s lakefront support Lucas Museum

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lucasforweb.jpg

A rendering of what the Lucas museum would look like at a proposed new site at McCormick Place East.

So let me get this straight. Friends of the Parks prefer a blacktop parking lot to a tourist destination such as the Lucas Museum? With friends like this, who needs enemies.

Tim Lauer, Mokena

 

The Friends of the Parks say they oppose any lakefront site for the Lucas Museum, including the compromise site of where McCormick Place East now stands. That building is an outdated elephant that no one wants to touch because of the enormous cost involved, thus it will sit there for generations to come. The Lucas Foundation has been willing to compromise and take this elephant and demolish it at their own expense, and bring a world-class museum to Chicago —  the only one in America established by an African-American woman. The plan also includes an additional 12.5 acres of green space for the lakefront.

The so-called Friends of the Parks claim to want to preserve green space, and this plan would actually add green space. This latest move by Friends of the Parks makes it clear that green space is not their primary motive. Rather, they are a group of elitists who want control of the lakefront.

They are not friends of the park, not friends of those who would benefit from jobs in construction and operation, and certainly not friends of the millions of children of all ages who would benefit from this museum.

Rev. Michael L. Pfleger

Faith Community of St. Sabina

Chicago

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If the President of the United States can put his museum in a part of city that needs improvement, why can’t George Lucas put his untested idea for a museum in a similar area, rather than on the lakefront? If he builds it, maybe they will come.

Clarence Krusinski, Rogers Park

As always, Mayor Emanuel, trained lap dog of the wealthy, did his utmost to foist the lunacy of Hollywood upon our beautiful lakefront. We should celebrate that the affluent Lucas crowd is leaving us in disgust. It has to be a shock to their system that they did not get their way; after all this is Chicago, where the 1 percent get whatever they want.

Edward D. Juillard, West Beverly

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