Harrison School District 2’s administration building is a pile of rubble, and no one seems sad to see the 62-year-old squat, ugly brick building go.

“I had a bird’s eye view,” said Mary McKinley, the superintendent’s executive assistant. “They brought in the two big bulldozers and it was gone like a tinder box.” Dump trucks now lumber by with debris. Executive staff is temporarily housed next door in the old Finance Building.

A 34,500-square-foot, two-story building will be erected at the site, 1060 Harrison Road. It will be brick, too, but gussied up 21st-century style with silver panels and banks of windows. Architects CSNA and Bryan Construction are handling the project.

The $5.5 million building is being paid for with proceeds from the recent sale of the Gorman Center for $7.5 million. Construction should be completed in October.

The new building will house 100 staff members who have found temporary refuge in other buildings. “We were spread out before because of lack of space. Now we are all over the district,” said Mark Wilsey, Support Services director. For now, school board meetings are at Zalman Center, 2755 Janitell Road.

The rumbling trucks don’t distract Dana Thomson, chief financial officer, who is working on the budget. “Wait until the steel beams and big equipment show up. It’s exciting.”