BLACKSBURG -- Any signs that Seung-Hui Cho killed 30 people and himself less than two months ago have been stripped from Norris Hall's second floor.

People from local and national television stations, Virginia newspapers and a Korean newspaper took their first look inside the building Thursday, touring the same newly tiled hallways and freshly painted classrooms that families of 18 of the victims from the April 16 shootings have already seen.

In two tours, media from more than 20 local and national news outlets walked down the hallways and in the four classrooms where Cho shot his victims. Forty-nine media members were signed up Thursday morning for two tours. They came into Norris through the door that police attempted to enter during the shootings. That door was chained shut from the inside, forcing police to use another entrance.

Tech spokesman Larry Hincker and Dave Simmons, machine shop supervisor for the department of engineering science and mechanics, also gave tours of some of the research labs located on the building's first floor. Tech administrators and faculty cited the importance of the work done in those labs in explaining last week's decision to reopen the building.

Norris will begin a phased reopening to the university community Monday. Some thought that was too early to reopen it, and others have even advocated razing the 72,375-square-foot structure.

Tech's department of engineering science and mechanics, and its civil and environmental engineering department were the building's primary occupants.

"What would have happened if a building that has supported hundreds and hundreds of people were destroyed?" Tech spokesman Larry Hincker asked Thursday. "It would have brought the department to a standstill."

Although there was no evidence of the shootings, Hincker said he thought it was important for the media to see the building.

"A horrible and heinous and horrific crime occurred on our campus, on state property," he said.

Tech has offered tours to families of all of the people killed or wounded in the building, he said. Hincker said he felt that it was important for the families of the victims to have the chance to view Norris before the media was allowed inside.

The building was opened for a tour in May by the governor's panel appointed to investigate the shootings. Tech did not allow the media to accompany the panel, despite objections from reporters.

"Emotions were extremely raw," Hincker explained. "I simply did not want to subject families to images of Norris at the time."

W.E.L. Inc. environmental services, a Concord company that specializes in emergency response, environmental investigation and remediation activities, handled the cleanup and refurbishing of Norris. Federal and state law requires licensed companies to do such work. Crews also removed asbestos from the 47-year-old building. Total costs for the work amounted to $415,000.

Classes will no longer be held in Norris. The four classrooms where Cho shot his victims looked nearly identical Thursday. They sat empty of furniture with new dry-erase whiteboards replacing the old blackboards.

The university will conduct a feasibility study this summer to decide exactly what to do with the classroom space, but future activity in the building will consist of research, laboratory and administrative work.

In contrast to the clean appearance of the floor above, the first floor appeared stuck in time. Fliers advertising different events on campus in April were stuck on bulletin boards in the hallway. Simmons apologized for the appearance of the machine shop. It was just as it had been left on April 16.

Filled with heavy equipment, some of which had been moved there shortly before the shootings, it's the only machine shop on campus that supports departments throughout the university and Tech's Corporate Research Center. The shop is used by students and faculty to design and build equipment for projects.

Simmons gave brief tours of other labs in Norris where research is being conducted on topics such as prevention of falls. He knows of some students with job offers in hand who need to get back into Norris to complete projects.

"As of now, they've lost two months out of their lives, their careers," Simmons said. "They're really anxious to get back in here."

Dorinda Miller, president of the New River Valley Community Disaster Response Coalition and a member of the governor's Terrorism and Disaster Behavioral Health and Advisory Council, said reactions from people re-entering Norris will vary widely. For some, it could trigger emotions they felt on April 16. For others it could be an opportunity for healing.

Miller said going back to Norris will ultimately be a positive step for most people. Unlike other scenes of terror, the building is still standing and is waiting to be repopulated, she said.

"As they reclaim that space, there's going to be a sense of satisfaction and maybe even a victory that they have not been frightened off," she said.

It's important for Norris to be refilled with the learning and camaraderie people associated it with before the shootings, she said.

"All those things we do to fill up a place," she said. "Those stimuli will begin to compete with the stimuli of the tragedy."