Chicago group opposed to George Lucas museum halts lawsuit

CHICAGO (Reuters) - A Chicago parks protection group that is fighting a proposed lakefront museum by "Star Wars" filmmaker George Lucas has agreed to halt its lawsuit while alternative sites are discussed, the group said on Tuesday. Friends of the Parks said that due to serious discussion of possible museum sites away from the lakefront, it was agreeing to a motion filed by the city of Chicago to stay the lawsuit. "The legal stay ... will give all parties the opportunity to have a more direct and productive dialogue to reach a potential solution about a museum site," the group said in a statement on its website. It might reinstate the lawsuit if necessary, it added. The proposed museum will feature Lucas' collection of paintings, illustrations and digital art. Friends of the Parks filed the lawsuit in 2014 to block the transfer of the lakefront spot near Soldier Field, home of the Chicago Bears football team, from the city to the museum. The lawsuit argued that the museum would violate the public use policy on the shore of Lake Michigan. A motion for the lawsuit to be suspended was filed by the city on Monday in U.S. District Court, and it will be heard by a federal judge next week, the statement said. Mayor Rahm Emanuel has backed the project, saying it will create jobs and expand cultural opportunities. After the lawsuit was filed he offered an alternative site for the museum at the McCormick Place convention center. He has proposed $1.5 billion in bonds to be issued by the Metropolitan Pier and Exposition Authority, plus the extension of tourism taxes, to pay for redoing the massive convention center to make room for the museum. (Reporting by Justin Madden; Editing by Matthew Lewis)