Once-Promising DC-Area Arts Center Swamped By $56M Debt

A decade ago, Fairfax County, Virginia had dazzling plans for the Workhouse Arts Center, housed in a former prison in Lorton. But with the first phase of construction completed one year ago and operations underway, the center is carrying a $56 million debt load, and management is scrambling to change offerings and business models to keep the enterprise from collapsing.