Montgomery County is on pace to devote $10 million to a single shopping mall in Wheaton — or roughly one-third of funds reserved for wooing private companies to the area — an investment in retail that critics say hardly bolsters economic development. Since the inception of the county’s economic development fund 15 years ago, Montgomery has spent nearly $25 million on more than 150 projects, or an average of about $167,000 each. The biggest award — $6 million — went to a Macy’s parking garage at Westfield Wheaton Shopping Center. And now the county will spend another $4 million on luring bulk retailer Costco to the same mall.

In other words, $10 million of the roughly $30 million in the fund will be devoted to a single company, specifically for car-centric projects.