The sound of heavy tape ripped off the reel, papers corralled into boxes and hand trucks rolling replaced the usual chatter at the law offices of McCamy, Phillips, Tuggle and Fordham on Thursday.

Their temporary office on the third floor of Dalton City Hall was a center of activity as the firm began moving back into its historic Crawford Street building, which was devastated by a suicide bomber some 11 months ago.

“It feels wonderful, it’s going home,” said attorney Lee Daniel, pausing to take a break while moving boxes outside City Hall. “I’m certainly glad for that. It makes you realize just how fortunate you are. The city has been great. We’ve had Cadillac offices and facilities. We really didn’t miss a beat almost in practicing law.”

Shortly after the bombing the Dalton City Council offered the space in City Hall, which was vacant at the time. Attorneys were up and running one week later. The firm has a one-year lease for some 8,300 square feet that expires Oct. 31. It is paying $9,153.10 a month.

The McCamy firm plans to reopen for business on Monday in the house on Crawford Street nestled between the post office and a doctor’s office and sitting across the street from City Park Elementary School. Daniel said the firm plans to host an open house for members of the community later this fall or winter to thank them for their support through the ordeal.

The Oct. 17 blast injured attorney Jim Phillips, clients Ruby and Steve Yeargin, and secretary Lisa Stinnett, and killed bomber Lloyd Cantrell. Members of the McCamy firm represented Cantrell’s son in a legal dispute the two had. Daniel said he doesn’t have any bad memories attached to the office, although he admitted some secretaries may have mixed emotions about returning.

“The odds of that happening were, heck, a thousand to one, a million to one,” Daniel said.

There were some changes made to the two-story, colonial style building, but Daniel said the public probably won’t notice anything different when walking into the former home. It had extensive smoke and water damage so it “had to be taken down to the studs.” A small back porch was enclosed to add more space for secretaries. A wheelchair ramp was added and the kitchen was enlarged.

Outside of City Hall, a small army of movers with Armstrong Relocation and United Van Lines spent much of the day taking furniture, boxes and computers a few blocks south to 411 W. Crawford St. Boxes were marked “Robert’s files” and a chair was marked “Steve’s chair.” Pieces of cardboard were set on the City Hall floor, while columns were wrapped in moving blankets so they wouldn’t be damaged.

The future of the third floor appears undecided. Members of the Dalton Board of Education have talked about moving the system’s central office, currently on Hamilton Street, to City Hall. Steve Williams, an attorney at the law firm and chairman of the Dalton Board of Education, was out of town on Thursday and could not be reached for comment. A message left with the central office was not immediately returned.

Dalton Mayor David Pennington said the city is ready for the school system to move in, but school officials haven’t yet committed. If the school system moves in, it will not be charged rent and will pay a portion of the utility cost, he said. City Council member George Sadosuk said he’s heard of those discussions but doesn’t think a decision has been made.

“It would be nice if they do (move in),” Sadosuk said.