The Red Lion/Ohio 123 project
- Ohio 123 will no longer come through the center of Red Lion, according to ODOT officials.
- The state route will be moved 1,200 feet to the east and intersect with Ohio 122. Ohio 741 and Ohio 122 will continue through Red Lion, but will include left turn lanes on all approaches into the intersection. A new traffic light will be also be added when the project is finished.
- The Red Lion project will also include an access road for residences and businesses on the section of Ohio 123 south of the current intersection. The state needed the land for other safety and sight improvements around the redesigned intersection, officials said.
- The project will be similar to a 2006 project in northern Clearcreek Twp. where Ohio 48, Bunnell Hill and Pekin roads met. That project included the relocation of Bunnell Hill Road, ODOT officials said.
— Ed Ricther
FRANKLIN — There was a time recently when Hilda Ratliff thought she was going to close her restaurant in Red Lion and finally retire.
Ratliff, who owns Mom’s Restaurant where Ohio routes 122, 123 and 741 converge in Red Lion, was told by the Ohio Department of Transportation almost five years ago that her property was going to be needed for a $4.9 million intersection improvement project.
ODOT officials was supposed to start the project in 2009 but delayed it to 2012. Ratliff originally had to vacate the premises that ODOT appropriated in August, but was granted a four-month extension.
“I had to turn the keys in (to ODOT) on Jan. 31,” she said. “My blood pressure went up and I was under a lot of stress.”
The restaurant is popular with people who live and work in northern Warren County. The decor is simple and Kentucky basketball is proudly displayed, as are a number of dollar bills left on the ceiling by patrons.
As she looked at possible places last summer to move her business and large following, Ratliff was eying the building just west on Ohio 122 which was the Fraternal Order of Police Lodge building that was in foreclosure.
About that time, Doug Pelfrey, the former Cincinnati Bengals kicker who is part of an investment group, reached out to Ratliff about moving her restaurant to a gas station/convenience store they were re-developing near the I-75/Ohio 123 interchange. The new location was some 2.9 miles northwest on Ohio 123 from her current location.
Ratliff told him that she wasn’t interested because she was working on getting the FOP lodge. However, that deal fell through and for a time, Ratliff thought she’d be ending her 37 years with the restaurant.
Pelfrey didn’t forget her and a few weeks ago, he contacted Ratliff again and told her, “We have to have you to make it go.”
Ratliff agreed and she hopes to close the Red Lion restaurant about Jan. 9 and open the new restaurant a few days later, most likely on Jan. 12.
“I’m really excited,” she said. “I thought I was done. “I’m overwhelmed with all of this right now.... It’s a new lease on life for me,” Ratliff said. “I’m so excited that I can’t sleep.”
While Ratliff is excited about the new opportunity, so are the more than 300 people on the restaurant’s Facebook page.
“It’s going to be bigger and better than ever,” Ratliff said. The new restaurant will be open until 8 p.m. and also have a private dining area that Ratliff will cater for.
In addition, all of those dollar bills that have adorned the restaurant will be donated to Miami Valley Hospital, she said.
Pelfrey said he was looking for a restaurant to go into the project and was very familiar with Mom’s Restaurant.
His father-in-law, retired elementary school principal Jess Wilson, goes to eat at Mom’s about three days a week. Pelfrey said his father-in-law was one of the first people to put a dollar bill on the ceiling in 1985.
“Having an anchor tenant is important,” he said. “Her customers are more excited. One thing I’ve learned from being in business is to keep it local.”
Pelfrey said his real estate investment group will make about $250,000 in improvements to renovate the BP gas station and convenience store in addition to the restaurant.
Contact this reporter at (513) 696-4504 or ed.richter@coxinc.com.
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