CHICAGO -- Advocates for a George Lucas museum in Chicago took their case to the streets Wednesday.
They staged a protest march outside the headquarters of Friends of the Parks, the group that is suing to prevent the use of lakefront property for the proposed museum.
The parks group says an open lakefront is vital to Chicago's appeal, and a new museum would erase some of that valuable lakefront.
Mayor Emanuel says Chicago stands to lose a fortune in tourist revenue if it doesn't get the museum.
Now the city is asking a federal appeals court to step in and throw out the group’s lawsuit on emergency grounds. The city is arguing that the normal legal process of defending the lakefront site would take too long – long enough for the museum developers to give up on Chicago and seek a site in another city.
Waukegan is offering to be that city. Waukegan bills itself as the “Birthplace of Motion Pictures” and says it is a natural fit for a motion picture-based museum.