The buildings that make up 44 Stanley date to the 1930s, originally serving as Automobile Association testing grounds and facilities in Johannesburg’s Milpark area. Developer Brian Green began converting the disused industrial site into a boutique precinct around 2003, and by 2023 it had reached roughly 20 years in operation. It now holds about 25 independent boutiques, galleries, restaurants and creative studios arranged around interlinked, walled courtyards with olive trees and fountains, deliberately designed as an alternative to a conventional shopping mall, with no underground parking and visitors parking on the surrounding streets. It also leases office and studio space, and its mix of small businesses and relaxed courtyard layout has made it a popular backdrop for markets, pop-ups and smaller events.