A visit to The Milton at 4534 Olive Street

The latest project to join the ranks of 3 other apartment buildings that have sprung up in the CWE over the last couple of years is The Milton, an imaginative 29-unit building at 4534 Olive Street, just east of Bowood Farms and west of Taylor Avenue.

The Milton sits atop an historic building that for decades served as a warehouse for now-shuttered Rothschild’s Antiques. The architect, Arcturis’ Patrick Knobloch, said that when the property’s owner, Red Brick STL, approached his firm with the multi-family idea, “it was important to preserve and restore the historic storefront along Olive in order to maintain the corridor’s edge and pedestrian scale. The notion to stack the residential floors above the historic warehouse stemmed from the necessity of preservation and the importance of revitalization.”

When asked what prompted the firm to choose a contemporary design for the historic structure, Knobloch replied: “Arcturus felt it was our responsibility to clearly identify what was historic and what was new. The contemporary addition was designed to contrast with the existing building, effectively allowing the historic architecture to be more prominent. If the addition was designed to imitate the historic warehouse, the clarity between old and new begins to dissolve. Arcturus wanted to make a clear statement with the juxtaposition.”

The ground floor contains residential parking, which is accessible from the alley, and 3,000 s.f. of commercial space, above right. The scope of work also included renovation of an exisiting two-story Tudor-style building, above left, which now houses 4 apartments that were leased immediately after that phase of the project was completed.

The view of The Milton from Bowood Farms’ vegetable garden, above.

Architect Knobloch continued: “The contemporary addition is a modern interpretation of the (CWE) district’s urban fabric. Careful attention was given to the materiality, scale and architectural details to respond to the context of the neighborhood. The upper floors are pushed back, above, from the street to address scale. Exterior materials were decidedly neutral and roof overhangs nod to historic cornices prevalent in the area.” (See example of  cornices across the street in photo below.)

The 29 apartments offer a choice of 1 or 2 bedrooms. Units on floors 3, 4 and 5 have balconies, while those on the 2nd floor have access to a spacious deck, above. The apartments feature electric appliances and stackable washer/dryers. Daily valet trash service is included—decorative trash bins are stored outside each unit’s front door. Parking in the indoor garage is $85 per month.

The apartments are bright and airy with high ceilings and lots of windows. One-bedroom units (the display is shown in 2 photos above and below) range from 660 to 735 s.f., $1195 to $1375 per month.

The 2-bedroom, 2-bath units (display is shown in 3 photos above & below) are 930 s.f., $1658 to $1750 per month.

Two 2-bedroom, 2-bath penthouse units are located on the top floor of the 5-story building. Each features upgraded appliances, a private terrace and separate storage area, 1448 to 1660 s.f., $3,500 per month. One penthouse has views to the east. south and west, see above. More photos are shown below.

The second penthouse unit, shown in 2 photos above, has views to the north and the east.

The neighborhood appears to be stretching its wings in every direction. It’s been interesting to see lights come on and patio furniture appear as tenants move into the Milton, as well as into Citizen Park, Lofts@Euclid, and The Orion. These projects are attracting both new residents who want the experience of city living in an increasingly vibrant neighborhood, and people who are downsizing and want to remain in the CWE.  For someone who has lived in the neighborhood for as many years as I have, it’s truly remarkable to see.

The Milton, 4534 Olive Street, for information contact Leasing Agent Michelle Murphy, (314) 361-7067 x 146, redbrickstl.com.