State Sen. Ulysses Currie, whose ties to Shoppers Food and Pharmacy are under federal investigation, intervened several times in recent years on behalf of the grocery store chain when it was seeking public financing and other concessions as part of the multimillion-dollar redevelopment of Mondawmin Mall in West Baltimore, according to interviews and records obtained by The Sun.
Currie, a Prince George's County Democrat who is chairman of an influential committee that oversees the state's budget, arranged meetings and contacted city and state officials at critical junctures in the years-long negotiations. He once convened a meeting at a Bowie seafood restaurant to allow Shoppers to air concerns that it couldn't move forward with the deal without more public financing, according to interviews and e-mails, calendars and other documents sought under Maryland's Public Information Act.
The deal to redevelop Mondawmin Mall has become a focal point for federal investigators, who late Tuesday issued a grand-jury subpoena on the state Department of Business and Economic Development. The subpoena, the latest in a series served on agencies as well as Currie and Shoppers, seeks information on meetings between DBED officials and Currie regarding Shoppers and financial incentives for the grocer at Mondawmin Mall and elsewhere.
