George Lucas offered new museum site in San Francisco

The city of San Francisco has stepped up its effort to lure George Lucas and his prized art collection by proposing a new site for the “Star Wars” filmmaker’s long-planned museum.

Mayor Edwin Lee recently sent a letter to Lucas proposing to use a 2.3- acre lot across from the city’s Embarcadero, according to published reports. Lucas is believed to be considering Chicago or San Francisco for the site of his museum, which would display his personal art collection as well as movie-related objects.

Lee’s offer is for a lot in between AT&T Park to the south and the Bay Bridge to the north. The San Francisco Chronicle reported that the Port of San Francisco owns the empty lot, which was appraised two years ago to be worth $30 million, and would lease or sell the lot to Lucas.

The filmmaker had previously wanted to build the museum at a site across from Crissy Field in San Francisco. But earlier this year, the Presidio Trust rejected that site and instead offered the filmmaker a site near his Letterman Digital Arts Center.

Officials in Chicago have proposed that Lucas construct his museum on the city’s lakefront museum campus that also serves as home to the Shedd Aquarium and Field Museum.

The proposed Lucas Cultural Arts Museum will almost certainly be a windfall for whichever city is ultimately successful in wooing the director. With an estimated price tag of several hundred million dollars, the museum would feature Lucas’ collection of artwork, including paintings and illustrations by Norman Rockwell, N.C. Wyeth and Maxfield Parrish.

It would also include exhibitions devoted to the art of filmmaking and digital technology.