After a lobbying campaign by Mayor Ed Lee, “Star Wars” creator George Lucas is once again looking to San Francisco as a possible home for a museum housing his collection of illustrative art and Hollywood memorabilia — this time on a site already approved for development on Treasure Island.

Lucas has renewed his interest in the city because his latest museum proposal — for a futuristic structure on the shores of Lake Michigan in Chicago — is on life support. Open space advocates like those who helped spike his earlier plans for a Beaux Arts-style monument near Presidio’s Crissy Field have Lucas’ Chicago plan hopelessly entangled, legally and politically.

Lee and Lucas have already met to talk about a move to Treasure Island, and now a preferred site has emerged on the west side, facing downtown. This week, the mayor plans to send a letter to the movie mogul formally inviting him to consider building his museum of narrative arts there.

One thing Lee has going for him: There are far fewer regulatory hurdles to clear than there were at the Presidio.

“I never gave up on the idea” of building the Lucas museum in San Francisco, Lee said. “We have a chance to bring it back, and I want to be open and positive about it.”

Los Angeles interest

But San Francisco probably won’t be the only suitor if Lucas gives up on Chicago. Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti reportedly has come up with a possible location for the museum in the city’s arts-rich downtown, and just days ago he issued a statement saying, “We would welcome it in Los Angeles.”

Kiichiro Sato/Associated Press

One of those already signaling support for San Francisco’s effort is Supervisor Aaron Peskin, who is often critical of Lee and his policies. Four years ago, he led a group that sued to block development plans on Treasure Island, citing alleged inadequacies in the environmental impact report. That suit was eventually tossed, clearing the last obstacle to building on the one-time Navy base.

Now, after meeting with the Lucas design team, Peskin says the museum may be “the special, secret sauce” that “could make Treasure Island work.”

The question is whether Lucas is seriously interested in turning back to San Francisco, after losing the long, ugly fight with the federally appointed trustees who oversee the Presidio. Lucas representatives declined to comment.

“I think it’s very real,” said one source who is privy to the San Francisco talks, but is not authorized to discuss them publicly. “Some of it is that he’s willing to compromise a bit, and he’s at that point of his life (he turned 72 on Saturday) where he wants to see it built.”

Plus, the prospects for Treasure Island might look a lot better than those in Chicago, where Mayor Rahm Emanuel recently came up with a complicated plan to resuscitate the project that relies on tearing down a convention hall, borrowing $1.2 billion from the state and extending several local taxes. But Lucas’ wife, Chicago native Mellody Hobson, recently told the Chicago Tribune that “time is working against us.”

Hotel meeting

Lee made several calls to Lucas over the past few months reiterating his administration’s desire to have the museum come here if things don’t work in Chicago.

The calls led to a private sit-down between the mayor, Lucas and their advisers a couple of months ago at the Four Seasons Hotel. At the meeting, Lee pitched the idea for building at Treasure Island.

Since then, Lucas’ designers have met a number of times with city staffers and the island’s developers, Wilson Meany and Lennar Corp. The companies have already completed the city’s required environmental review process and secured entitlements on a separate project to build 8,000 homes, 400,000 square feet of commercial space and two hotels.

The city approvals also allow for construction of either a museum or community facilities on Treasure Island. Although the museum deal would require approval from the Board of Supervisors and the Treasure Island Development Authority, it probably wouldn’t need to run the gantlet of regional and state agencies that have to approve some waterfront projects.

Different design

Those following the talks say Lucas wouldn’t revive the museum design he contemplated at the Presidio, and would instead suggest a modern structure. It might or might not resemble the 110-foot-tall building he proposed for the shores of Lake Michigan, a design that critics mockingly likened to “Star Wars” villain Jabba the Hutt and Disneyland’s Space Mountain.

LCAM

Whatever the case, we’re told a Treasure Island museum would be smaller and built within the limits approved for the site.

It’s also certain to be dwarfed by a 35- to 40-story hotel tower planned for next door.

Given the limited access from the Bay Bridge to the island, transportation is certain to be a key issue. Sources tell us most visitors would probably be shuttled to the museum by ferry or water taxi.

As for costs, Lucas apparently remains committed to financing the construction and endowing the museum. He’s previously offered to put up at least $700 million.

Looking for site

This isn’t the first time that Lee, who backed Lucas’ Presidio proposal, has come up with an alternative site for the museum in San Francisco. Two years ago, in a last-ditch attempt to keep Lucas from going to Chicago after the Presidio Trust rejected the Crissy Field idea, the mayor offered him a sliver of land just across from Piers 30-32. By then, however, it was too late — the talks with Chicago officials were too far along.

At the time, the Treasure Island environmental impact report was still being litigated, and the prospects of building there any time soon looked improbable. Now, officials are hopeful that construction could be fast-tracked, with a museum in place within five years.

If Lucas gives the go-ahead, the next step would be to negotiate a lease for the site and start developing a detailed plan.

The hope is that by building on Treasure Island — where there are few neighbors to complain and no need of approvals from an alphabet soup of boards and commissions to slow the effort — Lucas will see San Francisco as his best bet.

“He has said that he is open,” Lee said. “He just doesn’t want to go through the difficult process he has done twice already.”

San Francisco Chronicle columnists Phillip Matier and Andrew Ross appear Sundays, Mondays and Wednesdays. Matier can be seen on the KPIX TV morning and evening news. He can also be heard on KCBS radio Monday through Friday at 7:50 a.m. and 5:50 p.m. Got a tip? Call (415) 777-8815, or email matierandross@sfchronicle.com. Twitter: @matierandross