He may appear to be a polite, classic, ‘shirtsleeves CEO’, but don’t let Andrew Chapman’s unassuming air fool you — this native New Yorker has a proven eye for identifying talent and a penchant for detail.

The succesful restuarant entrepreur has now set his sights on developing a $400-million luxury villa resort in the exclusive community of San San near Port Antonio in Portland. Chapman’s vision, he says, is to make the 10-villa resort near Port Antonio the cultural and culinary capital of Jamaica.

“One of the keys for success in this area is to sell and show its authenticity,” Chapman said. “Port Antonio is a place people come to, not for the noise, but for the silence. I think Jamaica has so much more to offer than it [does now]. The culinary offerings, the music, the natural beauty.

“Yet [so many visitors] come and don’t leave the walls of their hotel. One hundred jobs in five years is one of my goals. You can’t talk about any kind of development without bringing in job creation, health care and preserving the natural habitat.

“As I see it, there are two philosophies to consider in business : a high tide where all ships rise together or crabs in a bucket, and I’m a huge proponent of the former.”

Chapman’s vision is strongly supported by his neighbour Michael Lee-Chin, chairman of the Econonic Growth Council.

“We [just] need three more Andrew Chapmans [in Portland] and we can transform this place,” Lee-Chin said, having just arrived by helicopter following some EGC meetings in Kingston.

Chapman’s plans include developing the estate as a holistic boutique resort, with an emphasis on personal engagement between guest and community and a strong directive to bolster the local community by developing and supporting the people of the area, whom he views as one of the key assets in his plans.

Chapman is new to tourism but not to hospitality, as 17 years ago he entered the food industry with a charming West Village eatery, August. Six years ago he co-founded, with renowned chef Marcus Samuelsson The Red Rooster restaurant, that burgeoned into a hospitality and entertainment empire, launching a successful full service brand, and kickstarting along the way a much-lauded ‘renaissance’ in Harlem, revitalising the area’s real estate profile, community culture and putting classic African American soul food at the forefront of contemporary American cuisine.

The centre point for the resort is Ti Amo — a villa in the exclusive San San community, once owned by the Aga Khan — on which Chapman has almost completed phase 1 of his project. The expected opening date is set for the 2017 winter season.

“I was tired of opening up just another restaurant — what I really wanted to do was explore ways how hospitality can transform neighbourhoods and communities, stimulate job growth and really enhance the culture of a place.

“I’ve seen other industries try to do that but [they] just don’t seem to do it as well as hospitality. The challenge of the Red Rooster [was] how do we take this iconic, historic neighbourhood and create a second Harlem renaissance…[especially] in New York where people don’t want to travel more than 20 blocks. How do you get people to make that trip up to Harlem…to a neighbourhood that is seen to be violent, dangerous and unwelcoming? How do you change the perception?”

To recreate Harlem, Chapman looked back to the past.

“I wanted to get a name that would bring the old generation back. This is where the civil rights movement was created, this is where the poets, authors and creaters of music lived and thrived, [the area] has so much to offer!”

After succesfully helping to transform Harlem, Chapman was looking for another challenge.

“The question then was what was my follow-up act. I didn’t know what to do for a long time, and that’s when I discovered Port Antonio. There are similarities between the two, [Harlem and Port Antonio] and so I want to use the same methodology for the success of the Red Rooster for San San.”

Ti Amo was an impressive, classic villa nestled in the hill on the exclusive San San Estate in Portland. Chapman quietly purchased the property and has been acquiring further land on the San San estate since.

The first phase of his plans include the renovation and remodelling of the 10 acre estate, with 10 state-of-the-art villas, a tennis court, swimming pool, gym and notably an eat-in kitchen designed to facilitate culinary demonstrations with a beautiful view of San San bay.

“I’ve always loved Jamaica, I’ve loved the music, I loved the culture, I’ve loved the vibes. A few years ago, I took a few weeks to drive all over the island. I was just looking for a house, just a little retreat [for myself] and my journey took me to Port Antonio. I saw how different it was here in terms of the nature, the people, the vibes. To me, Port Antonio is the perfect combination of a historic and friendly community with unparalleled natural beauty.”

A tour of Chapman’s property highlighted the intense attention to detail, luxurious ease, and preserving privacy in his future plans for the boutique collection of luxury villas.

“At the check-in area, you don’t need to do your passport and all that; we’ll have all that before you even get here”

Chapman is preserving a classic Jamaican villa style, allowing each villa to retain unique, individualised charm, with living areas, decks, and views of the bay. Notably, each villa is positioned to be hidden from the next.

“Every villa will have its own personality, in terms of interior design, so every time you go to a different one you’ll never have the same experience”

His prized area is the central clubhouse with eat-in cooking area and a bar overlooking the bay.

“This area is the sort of clubhouse where everyone will meet — a self serve bar, communal table, couches; read, hang out, play board games… if Marcus is here cooking, people can cook right with him!”