Chinatown’s “Counterfeit Triangle” storeowners reopen shop

The city has reached a settlement with the Chinatown business owners raided in February 2008 for selling counterfeit products — bearing fake brand names like Coach, Gucci, Prada, Dior, Rolex and Fendi — out of 32 storefronts in the so-called “Counterfeit Triangle” bounded by Canal, Centre and Walker Streets. As a result of the settlement, the property owners will be able to reopen their buildings after paying an $800,000 fine to the city and promising to use them “for legitimate purposes.” The buildings involved in the settlement are: 224-230 Canal Street, 232 Canal Street, 234-238 Canal Street, 106 Baxter Street, 112-116 Walker Street, 118 Walker Street, 120-124 Walker Street and 152-156 Centre Street. “Property owners should know that if they play host to illegal vendors, we will use the nuisance abatement law to shut down the buildings and exact a serious financial penalty,” said Shari Hyman, director of the Mayor’s Office of Special Enforcement. TRD