After years of discussion, Towson representatives have confirmed that they will build a satellite building on the Harford Community College campus.

The approval of the satellite building has been delayed a number of times due to an extensive review by the Maryland Higher Education Commission and concerns from Morgan State University that the building would only be open to Towson and HCC students, and not all students part of the University System of Maryland.

The building, known as the 2+2 Building, will allow students in Maryland’s northeast region access to four-year degrees without the commute to the Towson campus.

The hope is that students will save time and money, Gregory Deal, associate vice president for campus operations at HCC, said.

The majority of HCC students transfer to Towson, according to Annette Haggray, HCC’s vice president of academic affairs.

“Harford Community College and Towson University have a long-standing partnership,” Haggray said. “This partnership has resulted in the development of nearly a dozen accelerated pathways that allow students to transfer seamlessly from Harford Community College to Towson for the last two years of a four-year degree.”

The project is estimated to cost Towson $28 million, according to interim Vice President for Administration and Finance Mark Behm.

“The plan several years ago was for Harford Community College to own the facility,” Behm said. “We changed that plan last year because it was more economical for Towson University to own the building.”

Towson currently offers programs at HCC’s HEAT Center. The 2+2 building will expand upon these programs by offering degrees in Integrated Elementary Education/Special Education, Psychology and Business Administration, according to Deal.

“These were popular programs for Harford Community College graduates at the Towson University main campus, so they should be highly successful at the Towson University center at Harford Community College,” Deal said.

The 2+2 Building, which is scheduled to open fall 2014, will include student services, computer labs, study spaces, a bookstore and café.

“We at HCC are very excited about the building and believe it will be great success,” Deal said “It will be a welcome addition to Harford County.”