By Will Wright

[email protected]

The High Street and Woodland Avenue neighborhood said farewell to Ramsey’s Diner at the beginning of February, but workers are preparing the building for a new southern-style eatery to be named Chatham’s.

The inside and outside of the building will be remodeled and refurbished, said Charles Patterson, who leased the space for the coming restaurant.

Patterson is a Lexington native who went to UK for a few years then moved to South Carolina, where he began his more than 25-year career in the restaurant business.

“I’ve been wanting to move back home for years,” Patterson said. “This is the best location around here.”

The corner of High Street and Woodland Avenue sits just a few blocks from campus, so Patterson is excited to get the university traffic.

“Especially with the new dorms … there will be a lot of kids looking for a place to eat,” Patterson said.

Chatham’s will accept Plus Account.

Patterson hopes to involve the community in finishing the name of the restaurant for the awning over the front of the restaurant. Chatham’s on High is an option, he said. (Email him at [email protected] with ideas).

The patio on the Woodland Avenue side of the restaurant will be extended and lined with a wrought-iron fence.

The siding will be replaced as well as the ceiling. Patterson plans to repaint the walls, replace the kitchen floor, redo the existing bathrooms and fix a staircase that Patterson said people have complained about for years.

The restaurant will be complete with a bar fully stocked with liquor, wine and beer.

As for the food, Patterson said they will serve southern comfort-style meals in the $9 to $12 range.

The layout of the restaurant will stay the same. No walls will be permanently torn down.

“I’m just going to rip out the old and put in the new,” Patterson said.

Patterson hopes to open Chatham’s sometime this summer.