The Nuku'alofa Central Business District is undergoing a major facelift with new multi million buildings under construction rising up from the ashes of the fires and destruction in the riots of November 16, 2006.

Four years on and local businesses, whose buildings were destroyed in the riots have found confidence to rebuild.

The first business to open its doors to the public last week was Lalita Store, whose owners lost everything including stock and building in the riots.

Established by Indian business couple Chimanlala and his late wife Lalita in the 1980's, the new Lalita Building is now a modern one storey building that not only houses the Lalita Retail Store on the bottom floor, but has rental space as well.

Their son Dharmesh Lal told Matangi Tonga on September 22, they are very proud and happy that Lalita has reopened at a place they call home and where their hearts have always been.

"The riots brought us to our knees, we went bankrupt because we not only lost our store but all our stock and we were forced to leave, and it has taken us a while to get back," he said.

The cost of the new building is close to TOP$2 million financed under a joint Australia-New Zealand loan program.

He said that 75 percent of the building was occupied. Apart from the main Lalita Retail Store on the ground floor there are additional five rental units and on the top floor are three rental units.

The building opened on Friday, September 17 consists of a total of 1,450 square metres built by Group Construction Ltd with Lisiate Tupou from Tafolo as architect. Construction began in October 2009 and finished in July this year.

Local businesses

Also rising up of the ashes of 16/11 is Narottams Store located across the street from Lalita. The new building has been finished but not yet opened.

Other much bigger construction expecteded to be finished before the end of the year is the four-storey Taumoepeau Building that will be rented out for retail outlets, office space and apartments.

Property owner Paula Taumoepeau said the building still had work to be done but he expected completion before the end of the year.

At the same time its neighbour, Royco Building build on the foundations of its former building, is to be completed in November.

Owner Salote Cocker said the one storey building has 1,000 square metres on both floors, and would offer rental space.

Meanwhile, the Sanft building that is still under construction on Taufa'ahau road boasts three storeys. Owner Carl Sanft said he was initially told by the Chinese constructor that it would be completed by June but now they said October.