Act Now To Keep The Lucas Museum Off Lakefront Land

September 2015 ACT NOW TO KEEP THE LUCAS MUSEUM OFF LAKEFRONT LAND Testify and Donate Now SPEAK UP FOR OPEN SPACE Friends of the Parks supports the building of cultural institutions like museums and other attractions in the City of Chicago. While Friends of the Parks is supportive of the Lucas Museum coming to Chicago, we oppose the proposed ground lease to occupy public open space on the lakefront. The Lucas Museum of Narrative Arts is a clear violation of the public trust doctrine and a threat to the open and accessible character of the lakefront. Our legal action against the City and the Chicago Park District continues. The Chicago Park District has recently drawn up a ground lease that exchanges our precious lakefront for the bargain basement price of $10. The Chicago Park District, City of Chicago, and the Lucas Museum have left several key questions unanswered. Public land will be leased for 297 years, which is effectively, means we lose that land forever. They have not fully addressed the costs to taxpayers for infrastructure upgrades including traffic, utilities, roads, bridges and parking facilities. The site claims to add 200,000 square feet of parkland when in fact it diminishes the parkland meaningfully. The ground lease with the Chicago Park District does not include a site plan and is subject to significant change. Chicagoans need to work together to protect our parks and public open spaces from pressures of development. Sign the petition CHICAGO PARK DISTRICT SPECIAL MEETINGS ON THE LUCAS MUSEUM OF NARRATIVE ARTS The Chicago Park District wants to hear from the public in regards to the Lucas Museum. If you oppose the confiscation of public land on our precious lakefront then you will have your chance to publicly make your your voice heard. Please join Friends of the Parks and attend the Chicago Park District Special Meeting and speak about potential adverse impacts of The Lucas Museum on public land. Tuesday, September 29, 2015 AT 2:00 PM COLUMBIA COLLEGE 1104 SOUTH WABASH AVENUE, CHICAGO, ILLINOIS 60605 1ST FLOOR Wednesday, September 30, 2015 AT 6:00 PM MCCORMICK PLACE WEST 2301 SOUTH INDIANA AVENUE, CHICAGO, ILLINOIS 60616 ROOM W181C Enter at Gate 40. Anyone wishing to address the board must sign-up the day of the meeting. Sign-up will open a half hour prior to each meeting. This means on Tuesday, September 29, 2015 sign-up opens at 1:30 PM and on Wednesday, September 30, 2015 sign-up opens at 5:30 PM.Those wishing to submit written comments may do so at signuptospeak@chicagoparkdistrict.com Thank you for your support! Support the Lakefront Protection Fund Thank you so much for speaking up for open space! Your voice matters and will help Friends of the Parks' case in demanding the Lucas Museum of Narrative Arts be moved to alternate site. We all can agree that our lakefront is precious and needs to be preserved. We need more voices to reach the Chicago Park District and express your desire to keep an open and free lakefront as the original planners or our city intended. Please donate to the Lakefront Protection Fund. Proceeds from the lakefront protection fund will be used to cover our legal fees. Thank you for your support and please share with a friend! Or mail your donation to: Friends of the Parks 17 N State St, Suite 1450 Chicago, IL 60602 Thank you! Friends of the Parks Contact us with any questions at 312.857.2757 x5 or info@fotp.org Friends of the Parks is a fourty year old nonprofit parks advocacy group whose mission is to preserve, protect, improve, and promote the use of Chicago's parks and public open spaces. We advance our programmatic, educational, and advocacy work with the support of our members, donors and volunteers. Become a Member! STAY CONNECTED