S2 Capital acquired Ovaltine Apartments, a 344-unit garden and loft-style multifamily community in Villa Park, Illinois, marking the firm’s first investment in the greater Chicago area. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.
The acquisition represents a strategic expansion for S2 into a new major U.S. market following several years of evaluation and underwriting across the Chicago region. The property was acquired through a highly competitive marketing process led by the JLL Investment Sales team and aligns with S2’s value-add investment strategy.
Originally converted from the historic Ovaltine Chocolate Factory in 2001, Ovaltine Apartments is a generational landmark asset featuring distinctive loft-style layouts, 9- to 15-foot ceiling heights, and unique architectural character rarely found in suburban Chicago. The community is located in DuPage County, a supply-constrained submarket with no new multifamily units currently under construction within a three-mile radius and strong recent rent growth.
The property has demonstrated exceptional recent performance, maintaining average occupancy above 95% since January 2024 while consistently outperforming comparable properties in rent growth. Approximately 98% of units remain unrenovated or only partially upgraded, providing S2 with the opportunity to execute a comprehensive renovation program aimed at driving rental growth and enhancing resident experience.
S2 acquired the asset through its fully discretionary closed-end fund, S2 Real Estate Fund II. The firm plans to leverage its vertically integrated operating platform to implement interior renovations, targeted capital improvements, and operational efficiencies over the investment horizon.
