From left are donors Irwin and Joan Jacobs, Children’s Museum Executive Director Kay Wagner and the architect of a stunning design, Rob Quigley.

Helping to develop the new facility right on the San Diego Trolley line wasn’t good enough for Doug Hutcheson, a former president of the San Diego Children’s Museum/Museo de los Niños. At the museum’s “skybreaking” ceremony, Hutcheson disclosed a $1 million donation from Leap Wireless International Inc., payable over four years and designated specifically to provide 45,000 free admissions to deserving children. “Leap is pleased to contribute to… the only facility in the Downtown area offering a place focused entirely on children and their pursuit of artistic endeavors,” said Hutcheson, president and CEO of Leap. “Leap believes that the arts play a vital role in children’s cognitive development, and we want to help to remove both physical and economic barriers to our children’s exposure to, and participation in, the gift of artistic exploration.”

That was music to the ears of Joan and Irwin Jacobs, who witnessed Hutcheson’s donation and who earlier had donated $5 million to the museum, and who had something to do with the development of wireless communication, too.

Mayor Jerry Sanders and City Council President Scott Peters also attended the skybreaking. More fun than Hutcheson’s donation, however, was the ice cream social hosted immediately after the ceremony, around the corner in the offices of Vertical Village Realty, Tisha McMurry’s residential real estate brokerage on the ground floor of the Museum Tower. McMurry is selling donor tiles that will be set on the museum grounds prior to opening, scheduled for late 2007.

Leap CEO Doug Hutcheson, at left, presents an oversized $1 million ‘check’ to museum President Jason Hughes, City Council President Scott Peters, Mayor Jerry Sanders and Kay Wagner.

Museum President Jason Hughes says the crew of Erickson Hall has been on site for about a month, resuming construction from the ground floor up, hence the “skybreaking” notion. Construction was stalled at grade level while CCDC moved beyond its threat to seize the property for $10 if sufficient funds weren’t in hand by May 12, 2005, and cleared title so a lender could lend. With fundraising resumed, and new cash in hand, loan documents with Torrey Pines Bank were signed late last month. Hughes sits on the bank board.

Kay Wagner, executive director of the museum, says “Leap’s participation will certainly help us gain critical awareness…”

Traded on the NASDAQ following an impressive bankruptcy reorganization, Leap earned net income of $17.7 million on revenue of $266.7 million in the first quarter ended March 31, compared with $7.5 million on $228.4 million a year earlier.