March 02--A trial to decide the fate of the Lucas Museum in Chicago would not start until fall at the earliest, the judge handling the case indicated Wednesday, and that time frame hinges upon an accelerated court schedule.
U.S. District Judge John Darrah also urged the city of Chicago and the Park District to begin turning over documents and sharing more information with the preservation group Friends of the Parks, which is suing to stop development of the project along Chicago's lakefront. "Star Wars" creator George Lucas wants to build a museum housing a collection of narrative and digital art on property between Soldier Field and McCormick Place.
The lawsuit has Lucas considering other cities for the museum, a city attorney said at the previous hearing, placing increased importance on the duration of the legal proceedings. No construction can begin on the project unless authorized by the court.
The city has filed a motion to lift the standstill order and wants to begin construction on the site before the case is decided. The judge has scheduled a ruling on that issue for April 21. From the bench at Wednesday's hearing, Darrah said that starting any work before he makes a decision would be risky. If Friends of the Parks prevails, he said, demolition of any building or restoration of the site to its original condition would be costly.
"These are complex issues, and I can understand the desire to expedite this process, but the consequences of doing this wrong are severe," Darrah said.
Sean Morales-Doyle, a lawyer for the parks group, said his side is concerned about taxpayers being left on the hook if work on the museum began and was abandoned. Friends of the Parks has been seeking information from the city and Park District about how the lakefront site was selected.
The judge also said Wednesday that while the city and Park District are now pushing for an accelerated timeline for the legal proceedings, many of the delays since the case was first filed in November 2014 have been caused by their side, especially their resistance to share discovery documents and make people available for depositions.
"My main goal is to get through discovery and get this to trial and have you decide this case on its merits," city attorney Brian Sieve told the judge.
After more than a year of back-and-forth, Darrah ruled last month that Friends of the Parks adequately states a claim and that the lawsuit can move forward.
Juanita Irizarry, executive director of Friends of the Parks, said after the hearing that she hopes the judge's words lead to better cooperation from the city.
The organization says the museum project violates the state's public trust doctrine, will benefit a private party more than the public and will tarnish the lakefront. The group contends the land selected for the museum site is held in the public trust because it is formerly part of Lake Michigan, and that the land should be protected and preserved for the state's residents.
Lucas wants to house his collection of artwork and showcase exhibits and films at a proposed futuristic-looking building east of Lake Shore Drive, which would be surrounded by landscaped parkland. The project was approved by Chicago City Council, the Plan Commission and the Chicago Park District, which has entered an agreement to lease the land near Lake Michigan at a cost of $10 for 99 years.
