John Haynes, executive director of the Tateuchi Center (the Performing Arts Center Eastside), announced his retirement from daily management of the organization, a role he has filled for 10 years. Haynes will continue on as a consultant.

“After 10 years of living it 24/7, and approaching my 70th birthday, I have decided to step away from day-to-day management and focus on a more limited scope that will help bring Tateuchi Center to life,” Haynes said in a press release.

To date the organization has raised more than $123 million — including $56 million in the last 24 months — toward construction of the performance center in the heart of Bellevue’s downtown.

“The board is grateful to John for the contributions he’s made that have brought us to this exciting point in our development,” said board chair Alex Smith. “We value the opportunity to continue to benefit from his extensive experience through his consulting relationship.”

The Tateuchi Center team continues to focus on fundraising, led by Cathi Hatch, board vice chair and campaign chair, and Roxanne Kröon Shepherd, campaign director, to meet the next goal of securing an additional $55 million by the end of August.

The campaign received a major boost last fall from the Minoru and Yoko Arakawa Family’s gift of $10 million to name the 2,000-seat primary performance space. That gift was matched by $5 million gifts from Microsoft Corp. and the Kemper Freeman family. In March 2015, the city of Bellevue committed $20 million to the project.

“It has been an honor to work in a remarkable community alongside a group of remarkable people all determined to make it even better,” Haynes said.

Smith said for the last 10 years, “the drive to raise the funds for, and to design, what will ultimately be a world-class, multi-purpose cultural center on the Eastside has benefitted from John Haynes’ experience and leadership.”

Haynes will work on updating construction plans required for building permits and to convert the previously planned Cabaret into the Studio Theater. The Tateuchi team will meet with Pacific Northwest performing arts organizations to assess their needs for use of the center as an Eastside performance venue.

Tateuchi Center’s name celebrates a $25 million gift from the Atsuhiko and Ina Goodwin Tateuchi Foundation.

Tateuchi Center is scheduled to open in the fall of 2020.