CityGate Centre/Calamos Real Estate
John P. Calamos, Sr.
Founder
John Calamos may be best known as chairman and global chief investment officer of Calamos Investments, the firm he founded in 1977. But he also is the developer, owner and visionary behind CityGate Centre, the mixed-use community in northwest Naperville that is managed by Calamos Real Estate LLC, a boutique brokerage, property management and real estate development firm operating throughout Chicagoland and in a handful of other U.S. cities.
Offering the best attributes of an urban neighborhood in a pristine, suburban setting, CityGate Centre is home to several Calamos-founded businesses, numerous tenant-owned businesses and, with the recent opening of a luxury apartment building, individual community members.
At CityGate Centre you’ll find Forbes-recommended, AAA Four Diamond Hotel Arista and its Forbes Four Star Arista Spa & Salon; dining options including Wine Spectator Award-winning Che Figata, USDA Prime steakhouse CityGate Grille, sports bar with HD golf Tap In Pub, and one of just a handful of Lavazza coffee shops in Greater Chicagoland. These amenities are located among luxury residences and Class A office space where a number of businesses, including Calamos Investments, are headquartered.
In financial circles Mr. Calamos is a recognized pioneer in convertible securities and has a reputation for using investment techniques to control risk, preserve capital and build wealth for clients over the long term. His risk-management skills, however, came well before investments: Mr. Calamos served in the United States Air Force as Forward Air Controller guiding accurate air strikes and preventing injuries to friendly troops.
During the Vietnam War, his squadron was the first to fly the Cessna O-2, an aircraft in which he recorded over 400 missions in combat. Captain Calamos was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross for “extraordinary achievement while participating in aerial flight under heavy hostile attack.” His Air Force career included five years of active duty flying B-52 bombers and 12 years in the Reserves flying A-37 jet fighters. He retired as a Major.
The son of Greek immigrants, Mr. Calamos is an active philanthropist supporting educational institutions and Hellenic organizations. He has received many awards for his accomplishments as an entrepreneur and has been honored for his lifetime philanthropic contributions. He was the first Vietnam Veteran to receive the Jaharis Service Award from the Washington Oxi Day Foundation, which also established the Calamos Service Award to specifically recognize a Vietnam veteran each year going forward.
Mr. Calamos earned a B.A. in Economics and an M.B.A. in Finance from Illinois Tech, where he established Endowed Chairs in Philosophy and Business and is also a member of the Board of Trustees. He received an Honorary Doctorate in Humanities from Hellenic College Holy Cross.