Chicago mayor: George Lucas facility will give city museum campus as impressive as Smithsonian

CHICAGO – Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel says “Star Wars” creator George Lucas’ decision to build his museum of art and movie memorabilia will give the city a museum campus as impressive as the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C.

Emanuel spoke to reporters Wednesday, a day after Lucas announced that he’d selected Chicago over San Francisco and Los Angeles as the site for his Lucas Museum of Narrative Art.

The museum will be built along Lake Michigan, within walking distance of the Field Museum of Natural History, Shedd Aquarium and Adler Planetarium. Emanuel says together, the facilities will provide a unique educational experience.

He says Lucas’ museum will be an economic boon for Chicago, from the hundreds of construction and permanent jobs to the millions of dollars in tax revenues visitors will generate.