Quick turnover... Blue Ribbon to become Bass St. Chop House

The owner of Centro restaurant in downtown Davenport will open a new upscale steakhouse at Moline's River Station by late March, in the space formerly occupied by Blue Ribbon Steakhouse.

The joint venture between Des Moines-based Orchestrate Management (Centro's owner) and a local investor group will be called Bass Street Chophouse. It will be a "prime steakhouse" similar in concept to Blue Ribbon, which closed last weekend.

The closure of Blue Ribbon ended several months of legal wrangling between the RiverStation developers and the restaurant's proprietors over renovations. Blue Ribbon's owner, SeaGrille Corp., claimed certain work specified in the lease wasn't completed, and started withholding 25 percent of the restaurant's $13,333 per month rent last April.

RiverStation's owners took possession of the restaurant following a hearing Tuesday in Rock Island County Circuit Court.

"We have no knowledge of the issues that resulted in the closure of the Blue Ribbon, but our observation of the success of that operation, combined with our enthusiasm about the fantastic development taking place at Bass Street Landing...inspired us to get involved with this project," Paul Rottenberg, Orchestrate president, said in a press release.

"The Quad-Cities market and the business community have shown through their support of Blue Ribbon that they desire and are willing to support an upscale prime steakhouse," he said. "We will capitalize on our experience with Centro in Davenport to involve all communities and businesses in the success of Bass Street Chophouse."

Centro restaurant opened in Des Moines in 2002 and at the Redstone Building, 131 W. 2nd St., Davenport, in July 2004. Centro -- which specializes in New York-style pizzas, pastas, sandwiches, and other Italian favorites -- shares the same building with the River Music Experience.

Orchestrate Management also owns and operates Hotel Fort Des Moines, Raccoon River Brewery, and the Hilton Garden Inn in Johnston, Iowa.