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7 Plaintiffs Join Baltimore State Center Suit

BALTIMORE (AP) -- Some of Baltimore's best-known Italian restaurants are joining a suit against the $1.6 billion State
Center project. 

Caesar's Den, Chiapparelli's, Da Mimmo, Sabatino's and Vaccaro's are among seven new plaintiffs who joined the suit on Monday. The court challenge was filed by property owners who claim the project will siphon business away from the city's central business district, leaving it blighted and decaying. The plaintiffs claim the project was approved in violation of state procurement laws and should be declared invalid. 

In July, the Board of Public Works approved the project's first phase. The center north of downtown will include 390,000 square feet of office space, mostly for the state health department. Retail, parking and mixed-income housing are also planned. 

(Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press.  All Rights Reserved.)

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