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 funding from various sources, including BP, The Arts Council (Arts Council England), Greater London Council, and jazz enthusiasts. It was to be located on Floral Street in Covent Garden, with construction starting in 1982 and a target completion date of December 1983.