Financial backer revealed for Mac Point 2.0 alternative stadium
The developers behind an alternative stadium at Macquarie Point have revealed a financial backer and some new images. Check out the latest.
Tasmania
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As a financial backer is revealed by the developers of an alternative stadium and urban renewal project at Macquarie Point, new images have been released showing it will not impinge on any sight lines from the Hobart Cenotaph.
The Stadia Precinct Consortia has signed with Capella Capital, a leading infrastructure developer, investor, financial adviser and asset manager which has been involved in the development of hospitals, tunnels and convention centres interstate.
Consortia managing director Dean Coleman described the agreement as “a pivotal collaboration”.
“We have now signed with Capella Capital as our chosen financial partner after working through offers from several key global financial services groups to provide a state-of-the-art sport and entertainment complex and urban precinct that offers substantial economic, cultural and communal advantages to all Tasmanians,” he said.
“Capella Capital has a track record of delivering $32bn of PPP projects across Australia over the past 15 years providing innovative solutions for multiple successful consortia and state government clients.”
Sydney-based managing director of Capella Capital Malcolm Macintyre said Mac Point 2.0 stadium and urban renewal had widespread support from the Tasmanian community and the partnership represented a significant step forward in realising the vision of an AFL stadium at Macquarie Point.
“Capella Capital is delighted to have partnered with SPC and looks forward to supporting the Tasmania government in delivering this once in a generation, transformational project,” he said.
“The stadium and precinct will provide long lasting benefits to community and businesses across Tasmania, with year-round sports and arts events, scope for training and employment, and opportunities for Tasmanian businesses to participate in a large-scale development project.”
Mr Macintyre drew parallels with the Darwin Waterfront project he worked on 20 years ago that created a convention and exhibition centre on the waterfront.
“We worked out, you couldn’t go swimming anywhere in the water in Darwin with crocodiles and jellyfish, so we had the idea to create a beach and even incorporated a surfing machine at the beach location,” he said.
“There was then retail and a hotel that was included and apartments.
“It is just a fantastic location in Hobart, utilising the investment in the stadium as a catalyst for broader urban renewal and for the attraction of other activities that will activate that precinct on days when the stadium might not be being used.
“There’s the stadium itself, but then there’s the opportunity to really create a fabulous new place and be very complimentary to the other hotels and retail and dining facilities in that precinct.”
Mr Macintyre, who also worked on the development of the North West Regional Hospital in Burnie in the early 1990s, said Mac Point 2.0 stadium had “very high support in the community”.
“When we look at projects, one of the key sort of criteria, from a risk perspective is, is the community supportive of it, and we see that community support not just in Hobart, but obviously across Tasmania as being very visible and very supportive.”
Mr Macintyre is not worried that the government has ruled out Mac Point 2.0 and both he and Mr Coleman said they had submitted an unsolicited proposal to the government on their plans.
“We understand they’re obviously some way down the path of 1.0 but we think that this is a very good proposal, which has great support from key stakeholders in town,” he said.
“The government will ultimately decide the path that it wants to follow, we think there’s a really positive proposal that should be considered.”
He has met bureaucrats during recent visits to Hobart but no government ministers.
Mr Coleman said the proposal was the culmination of 12 months of “significant site due diligence, design development, and considered stakeholder engagement”.
The consortia released two new images, including an aerial view and from Rosny saying they highlighted that it would not impinge on the sight lines from the Hobart Cenotaph. The RSL argues Mac Point 1.0 will affect the views.
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