Plan A is a fascinating story of public perception and poor government budgeting and communication.

It began as a proposal to borrow $85 million for a new sports and entertainment centre, an expansion to the Abbotsford Recreation Centre, and the Reach Gallery and Museum.

The ambitious project quickly became one of the most controversial issues this city has experienced, polarizing supporters and opponents.

Plan A took a bad PR turn almost right from the beginning. Council was hardly neutral on the question, spending considerable effort and money on promoting the project, which was originally billed as an $85-million project, to be subject to referendum.

Yet, it was reported by The News in Sept. 2006, two months prior to the vote, that the city had spent $8 million in reserve funds for land on which to build the sports and entertainment centre.

Somehow, that figure kept floating on the side of the total cost, in continued references by politicians, the public – and the press.

In actuality, Plan A had a $93-million price tag before the borrowing vote was taken, which was approved by a very slim portion of the city’s voters.

Then in January of 2007, it was revealed the city would spend $4 million on a parkade for the rec centre, again pulled from reserve funds.

Why this was not clearly communicated to the public in the original cost estimate of Plan A is quite confounding, considering it was an integral part of the construction.

Despite continued references to an “$85-million project,” Plan A carried a cost of $97 million before a shovel hit the ground.

And while there was much talk of getting provincial funding support, the city borrowed first, and begged later.

Big mistake. Victoria took the obvious easy out.

Then came the next big surprise.

Of four bidders on the project, three bailed, leaving PCL, which after a discount, came in $4 million over the total estimated cost.

The city had to rebudget Plan A, or kill it. The council of the day swallowed the pill, much to the chagrin of many taxpayers.

By April 2007, Plan A would cost $108.6 million, or about $11 million above the $97 million of construction, land and parkade.

The readjusted figure didn’t include $5 million in contingency funds for future unforeseen costs, while the total land cost had risen from the initial $8 million to $10 million, partly in extra expense to relocate the existing tenants.

The city then encountered a solvent spill that brought $2 million in clean-up to the bill.

Add in extra roadwork, renovations for the AHL hockey team, a fancy score clock, and other bits and pieces, and the final price tag is at $115 million, according to a city report this week.

Abbotsford taxpayers are paying big-time for Plan A, including an 11 per cent increase on their taxes for the next two decades, and a $30-million draining of precious reserve funds.

Did the city do a good job in initial budgeting? Hardly.

Did it communicate the process effectively with taxpayers? No.

Many lessons to be learned there...

However, it’s all water – or money – under the bridge now. Abbotsford has built itself three top-end facilities.

The abiding question that remains is what kind of financial deal the city struck with the AHL, and whether the sports and entertainment centre can pay for itself as a result.

The Heat is on.