LA Mayor Eric Garcetti Launches Campaign for the Lucas Museum of Cultural Arts

Mayor of Los Angeles Eric Garcetti has launched a campaign for the Lucas Museum of Cultural Arts. The museum, a legacy project of "Star Wars" creator George Lucas, was originally a two-way battle between Chicago and San Francisco for the director's private art collection.

Garcetti is offering the museum a spot in Exposition Park, which is home to the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, a National Historic Landmark that hosted two Olympic Games and still hosts USC football games.

A spokeswoman for Garcetti, Molly Fowler said, "It's in South L.A. right next to USC, and in there is a number of cultural destinations for the city of L.A., including the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, the Natural History Museum (of Los Angeles County), the (California) Science Center and the California African-American Museum." Fowler said the Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena would be torn down to make way for the museum.

Garcetti sent a letter to Lucas and his wife Mellody Hobson on Friday offering them the Exposition Park, said Fowler. Garcetti has also launched a social media campaign to build support using the hashtag #WhyLucasInLA.

Garcetti's campaign website features another letter addressed to Hobson and Lucas. In the letter he asked Lucas to consider Los Angeles because it is "a place where its impact can be amplified like no other."

San Francisco has offered Lucas a seawall lot near the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge and Chicago offered two parking lots between Soldier Field and McCormick Place.

The contest was opened up to other cities than San Francisco, where Lucas built his career and near where he grew up, because the board of the Presidio rejected Lucas' preferred site. Lucas is expected to make a decision this summer.

David Perry, of the Lucas Cultural Arts Museum, said the organization will not comment on any potential locations while they are analyzing their options. Perry said, "We are grateful for everyone's enthusiasm for this project. Since the beginning of this process, we have indicated that several cities had expressed an interest in the possible location of the Lucas Cultural Arts Museum."

Lucas never made a film in Hollywood, and instead chose to build his empire in San Francisco. He later sold Lucasfilm to Disney for more than $4 billion.

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