The project attracted funding from BP and The Arts Council (Arts Council England); and £1,637,000 from Greater London Council as well as grants from The Pilgrim Trust and jazz enthusiasts. The site of the centre was to be on Floral Street in Covent Garden. Work started in 1982, converting a 19th Century fruit and vegetable warehouse, with anticipation that the new Centre would be complete by December 1983.
The project received financial support from BP and The Arts Council (Arts Council England), along with £1,637,000 from Greater London Council and grants from The Pilgrim Trust and jazz supporters. The centre's location was to be on Floral Street in Covent Garden, and construction began in 1982, converting a 19th-century fruit and vegetable warehouse, with the expectation that it would be completed by December 1983.