The property development company behind Hobart's rejected Stadium 2.0 concept has collapsed into liquidation, owing creditors $6 million and leaving employees short $145,000 in unpaid superannuation — while its director is now connected to a new housing proposal on the city's waterfront.
Dean Coleman, director and secretary of SolutionsWon Group, confirmed the company entered liquidation in December last year. Mr Coleman acknowledged the failed stadium bid was a "significant" factor in the company's financial position.
What Was Stadium 2.0?
In 2023, Mr Coleman joined several high-profile Tasmanians — including a former Labor premier — to put forward an alternative stadium concept for Hobart. Dubbed Stadium 2.0, or MAC 2.0, the proposal envisaged a 23,000-seat roofed stadium built on reclaimed land along the River Derwent.
The design was advanced through a separate company called Stadia Precinct, of which Mr Coleman is also listed as a director and secretary according to corporate records. The Tasmanian government ultimately rejected the proposal in 2024, describing it as an "unacceptable risk."
Mr Coleman said SolutionsWon Group had invested in major private sector projects over several years before the liquidation, and that the stadium process had taken a meaningful toll on the company's finances.
Liquidation Details: $6 Million Owed to Creditors
Liquidation documents reveal the full extent of the company's financial difficulties. SolutionsWon Group owed $6 million to its creditors at the time of collapse, along with $145,000 in superannuation entitlements that had not been paid to employees.
The company entered liquidation in December last year, with those figures now on the public record through formal insolvency proceedings.
New Waterfront Project at Regatta Point
Despite the liquidation, Mr Coleman has since become associated with a fresh development concept on Hobart's waterfront. Last month, Mr Coleman and Hobart City Councillor John Kelly announced the Regatta Quay Precinct (RQP) proposal — a project that includes 220 apartments and a large car park at Regatta Point.
A spokesperson for the project confirmed that "the new RQP team are largely the original Stadium 2.0 team," drawing a direct line between the two ventures.
However, following questions about the SolutionsWon liquidation, Mr Coleman was quick to distance himself from any suggestion that RQP was a continuation of his collapsed company. He described his involvement as strictly advisory and communicative, "rather than that of a project proponent or developer."
"Having led much of the original precinct planning work, I have been asked only to assist in explaining the concept and the technical work already undertaken," Mr Coleman said.
He said the two entities — RQP and SolutionsWon Group — were completely separate, and that the new proposal should "ultimately be assessed on its planning, transport, economic and community merits."
Where Does the Proposal Stand?
The Regatta Quay Precinct remains at a very early stage. Hobart City Council has agreed to be briefed on the concept, with Councillor Kelly stating he wanted to ensure that useful transport, parking and waterfront planning work from the Stadium 2.0 process was not lost entirely.
Mr Coleman was emphatic that the project had not yet formally launched. "To be clear, no formal project has been announced, no development application has been lodged, and no investment process has commenced," he said.
He added that governance, ownership and delivery structures would only be established if the proposal progressed further. For now, the concept remains subject to council consideration, with no timeline confirmed for next steps.
