By Yasmine Peru/Senior Gleaner Writer—

Richard ‘Richie B’ Burgess (2nd right) uses a pick axe to break ground for a four-story 14-apartment complex on University Crescent in Papine, St Andrew, valued $600 million. Also breaking ground are Howard Johnson Jr, (left), broker, Howard Johnson Realty Limited; Fayval Williams (second) Member of Parliament, St Andrew Eastern; Desmond Young (right), project manager and CEO, Molody Development Limited. The groundbreaking ceremony was held on Sunday.

Within the entertainment industry, popular broadcaster and mogul Richard ‘Richie B’ Burgess has done just about everything. He has been a promoter, an artiste manager, booking agent, record producer, and even opened a distribution company to distribute his music and that of other producers. But now, he is focused on breaking new ground – literally.

Candidly describing himself as somewhat of a “serial entrepreneur”, Burgess, who now wears the property developer hat, shared a snapshot of his business journey that has led him to Ma Vista, which, at its core, is a fruitful way to honor his late mother and family matriarch, Mavis Burgess.

“I dabbled into the petroleum industry … spent 10 years at Mary Brown’s corner … they still call it Richie B’s Texaco, but I am out of that business since 2006, having started in 1996. I am now across the road doing a liquor store. Real estate is something that I have always been intrigued in and fascinated by. There are many stories that I have been told of the value that it brings to one’s life if you do it the right way. And so I have dabbled in real estate before and was always looking for some opportunity so this presented itself, and here I am doing Ma Vista,” Burgess told The Gleaner.

The housing development, Ma Vista, is located on University Crescent in St Andrew, and ground was officially broken on Sunday.

“I was trying to figure out a name, and for several weeks I was toying with several different ideas, and then one day the word ‘vista’ came up, and all of a sudden I am seeing ‘Mavis’ coming through … and so Ma Vista was born as a tribute to her. I’m really very proud of what she has done as the matriarch of our family, raising 10 children and many children from our community, so I want to do this as a tribute to honor her memory,” explained Burgess, the “wash belly” of the 10 children.

The government has committed its support for popular Jamaican radio jock, radio host and entrepreneur, Richard ‘Richie B’ Burgess, who has embarked upon a $600-million housing/construction project in honor of his late mother, Mavis Almira Burgess.

In a ceremony that was anchored on the benevolence of a caring and almighty God – and interestingly, a bit removed from the reggae and hard-core dancehall stages over which Burgess has often presided – there was prayer and even a message from a preacher, Paster Melvin Francis, the executive secretary of the East Jamaica Conference of Seventh -day Adventists. And Burgess’ steering committee also comprises solid men of the Seventh-day Adventist faith – realtor Howard Johnson Jr and project manager Desmond Young.

A smiling Johnson, when asked, stated: “This is a Monday to Friday operation … light on Sundays, but none on Saturdays.”

In his Sunday morning message, Pastor Francis shared: “The Bible says that every place that the sole of your foot has tread upon, I have given you. We can almost stand here and see the finished product because our God is able, and our God has been with this project from the very inception on to the end. I want to commend all of you, and we want to give the project to God from one corner of the property to the next. And we also want to pray, Elder [Howard] Johnson, that you won’t have hands to sell.”

Burgess surrounded himself with family – his son, Dimitri-William, did the scripture reading and his niece, Stacy-Ann Golding, did the votre of thanks – and he invited Member of Parliament of St Andrew Eastern, Fayval Williams, to give remarks, following which ground for Ma Vista was officially broken.