The former convent, which faces the historic lawn of Rutgers University and the Old Queens campus, will become the Campus Ministry office of the Diocese of Metuchen at Rutgers University.

The $3.8-million project will involve a total renovation of the approximately 16,000-square-foot building, which is attached to Saint Peter the Apostle Roman Catholic Church. With its brownstone walls, arched windows, decorative woodwork and steeply pitched multi-gabled roof, the building is a typical example of the American Gothic Revival style of architecture of the mid-nineteenth century.

One of the biggest challenges is the building's age, with parts dating back to the early 1800s, Brendan Murray, president of New Brunswick-based Tekton Development, tells GlobeSt.com. "The main structure was built in 1868 and additions were then made in 1897," he says, adding that the historic façade of the structure will be preserved.