Despite their efforts to woe the Star Wars creator, San Francisco and Los Angeles lost the bid for the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art, a potential cash cow that will feature art and film memorabilia from George Lucas' productions. Meanwhile, Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s strong push for the bid paid off: Tuesday Lucas announced that he was taking his coveted collection to Chicago.

As CBS reports, the rejection of the two Californian forerunners was a surprise due to Lucas’ many ties to California. Not only is California the director’s native state, but the headquarters of both Lucasfilm and Skywalker Sound are located in the San Francisco area.

Despite the connections, however, Emanuel’s offer proved irresistible. Chicago offered Lucas a prime slice of lakefront real estate near other key attractions, including the Field Museum of Natural History and the Shedd Aquarium, a deal that compared favorably to San Francisco's, which rejected the filmmaker's first choice near the Golden Gate Bridge.

Lucas’ wife, Mellody Hobson, also played a major role in the decision. A prominent businesswoman, Hobson hails from Chicago and maintains strong connections to the area.

"I am humbled to be joining such an extraordinary museum community and to be creating the museum in a city that has a long tradition of embracing the arts," Lucas said in his written announcement.

In the announcement, Lucas said he hoped to open the museum in 2018.