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Chicago Sun-Times
Chicago Sun-Times
National
Fran Spielman

After 8 years of ‘good trouble,’ Juanita Irizarry is leaving Friends of the Parks

Juanita Irizarry George Lucas Rahm Emanuel United States Chicago Bears Lucas Museum of Narrative Art
Juanita Irizarry is stepping down from her post as executive director of Friends of the Parks at the end of this year. (Sun-Times file photo)

Juanita Irizarry stood toe to toe with Rahm Emanuel, and she didn’t just survive one of the nation’s most relentless politicians. She defeated and embarrassed the former mayor.

Emanuel was so furious about the Irizarry-led legal battle that forced “Star Wars” movie mogul George Lucas to cancel plans to build a $743 million museum on 17 acres of lakefront parkland, he derisively branded her group “Friends of the Parking Lot.”

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