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Jon Runstad, Prolific Seattle Developer and Philanthropist, Dies at 81
H. Jon Runstad, the Seattle visionary, civic leader, and philanthropist, passed away at his home on June 20 after a long illness. A prominent commercial real estate developer, his career spanned over 50 years and helped shape the Seattle skyline.
As CEO of Wright Runstad & Company, he oversaw the development of nearly 20 million square feet of commercial real estate occupied by tenants such as Microsoft, Amazon, and Facebook. His portfolio included large-scale commercial real estate, government, and medical buildings, in Seattle, Bellevue, Olympia, Boise, Portland, and Los Angeles.
Some of Runstad’s notable Seattle projects include the redevelopment of Rainier Square, 1201 Third, the former First Interstate building, the first Bellevue high rises, the original Microsoft campus, The Spring District in Bellevue, and the redevelopment of the University of Washington Husky Stadium.
Runstad earned his MBA from Harvard Business School and was an active philanthropist with a focus on civic causes, entrepreneurial real estate education and local charities, along with his wife Judy.
