Written by Coronado Historical Association Volunteer: Mary Jane Braun
This article was originally published in the September 2022 Issue of Coronado Magazine. To read this article and more from Coronado Magazine, click the button below.
Soon after moving to Coronado from White Mountain, Arizona, Don had the idea to purchase and renovate the old Bank of Commerce building at 1100 Orange Avenue. The Budingers invested millions to restore the exterior of the building to its initial grandeur, revealing the large plate glass windows at the street level and resurfacing the exterior. Designed in 1910 by nationally recognized architects Charles and Edward Quayle, the majestic building boasts a classic elegance with its symmetrical plan and monumental columns.
Around this time, CHA was looking to move its headquarters. The move became possible thanks to the stewardship of the new owners of the historic bank building, Don and Leslie Budinger. Thus 1999 was a milestone year for CHA, as the original museum and archives were moved its Loma Avenue to the current location at the historic Bank of Commerce building in the heart of downtown Coronado. The building and vision of the Budingers allowed CHA to become a modern
museum.
The Budingers are gifting the landmark building that CHA calls home at 1100 Orange Avenue over a thirty-year time period. The Association is privileged to have the exclusive use of the entire building at a substantially discounted rent. The building was refurbished to its original luster when Don and Leslie took ownership and they have maintained it in pristine condition over the past 20 years. In 2020, CHA will have the opportunity to exercise an option to take early title to the building or to continue to pay rent until 2030 when the property will be gifted in full.
The extraordinary agreement between CHA and the Budingers represents an important cooperation in Coronado between a private citizen and a civic-minded enterprise. “I believe that we should look at what we’ve inherited and leave it better off than we found it,” Don explained as to why he offered such a generous gift to the citizens of Coronado.
Don graduated from the University of Arizona with a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1964. The philanthropist made his fortune with his brother, William, in a global business that developed surface-finishing chemicals used to make computer chips, rigid memory disks, and specialty optics. It was a dream that crystallized 40 years ago, as Rodel Inc. evolved from a garage start-up to a massive manufacturer. In 1999, Budinger, by then a father of four, sold his company and began giving back money where he made it: Arizona and Delaware.
He went on to become the chairman and founding director of The Rodel Foundation, with the purpose of improving pre-kindergarten through 12th-grade public education systems in Arizona and Delaware. Don is also the chairman and founding director of Science Foundation Arizona, and a board member of several Arizona educational and economic development organizations. For his commitment to improving education, Don has been the recipient of several awards including the “Outstanding Achievement in Higher Education Award” from the Arizona Board of Regents and the “Science of Early Learning Award” from New Directions Institute.
In 2002, the Cobb-MacCartee Preservation Award was presented to Don and Leslie Budinger for their restoration and rehabilitation of the Bank of Commerce Building, the Association’s home since October 2001, and for the work on their home, the RewSharp House, on Alameda Boulevard. The Budingers continue to be avid supporters of the Coronado Historical Association’s mission of history, community, and education.
More photos of Don & Leslie Budinger:
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