Lucas museum among finalists for Golden Gate site

[September 18, 2013]  SAN FRANCISCO (AP) -- A museum proposed by "Star Wars" creator George Lucas to showcase visual storytelling and house his art collection is one of three development projects being considered for a plot of park land at the foot of the Golden Gate Bridge, a newspaper reported Tuesday.

The Lucas museum would include the collection he has amassed over more than four decades and says includes illustrations by Norman Rockwell and Maxfield Parrish. Lucas intends to finance the project himself.

Supporters include U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein, Gov. Jerry Brown and filmmaker Martin Scorsese, the San Francisco Chronicle reported.

The finalists for the 8-acre site facing Crissy Field in the Presidio area of San Francisco were presented Monday to the Presidio Trust, which manages the former military base that is now a national park.

Another proposal by the Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy would retain much of the site's open space and include displays about the history of the Presidio.

The other plan was submitted by the architecture firm WRNS Studio and consulting firm Chora. It would create a museum combined with a science and nature center.

The Presidio Trust has not yet set a deadline to select the winning proposal.

"There's no question that this is one of the most spectacular sites in the world," said Craig Middleton, executive director for the trust. "We really need to be thoughtful about which proposal best fits in, both in terms of the project and the program."

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Information from: San Francisco Chronicle, http://www.sfgate.com/

[Associated Press]

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