UPDATE: Site of Rutgers Newark construction project was possibly former graveyard

NEWARK --Fragments that appear to be human remains were unearthed at the site of a former church where Rutgers University plans to build a mixed-use residence hall and learning community in Newark, officials confirmed Monday.

The remains were located on a portion of the lot once occupied by a church, which closed in 1940, according to a statement issued by Peter T. Englot, senior vice chancellor for public affairs at Rutgers University Newark.

Pre-construction work was underway to build the 320,000-square-foot Honors Living-Learning Community, on Washington Street between New and Linden streets, on what is now a paved lot.

The approximately $70 million mixed-use project is set to include a 400-bed residence hall, retail stores, classrooms and work spaces, according to Rutgers.

"Site preparation plans for the Honors Living-Learning Community that were filed with the State Historic Preservation Office, in keeping with state due-diligence measures, addressed the possibility of finding human remains at the site," the University said in a statement. "Such remains have been found on a portion of the site that had been occupied by a church until it closed in 1940; the building was demolished 65 years ago."

A team of archaeologists is investigating at the site, according to the University.

Englot said officials did not yet have enough information to provide specific details about the remains, which he described as fragments. The project was not being delayed because of the discovery, he said.

"We have just completed day three of a planned eight-day, due-diligence exploration approved by the State Historic Preservation Office," Englot added in an email. "At the end of that eight-day period and after a full assessment of the site by our archaeologists, they will present us with their conclusions and proposed course of action."

A state-approved site study was scheduled as part of pre-construction activities and is not holding up the project, he added. The site was once home to the Halsey Street Methodist Episcopal Church, which housed a congregation that moved and merged over the years.

The Rutgers project has been called "state-of-the-art" and expected to be a boon to Newark's economy as the area undergoes a revitalization.

Noah Cohen may be reached at ncohen@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @noahyc and on Facebook. Find NJ.com on Facebook.