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GREENSBORO — For the aquatics center, it was sink or swim.

But would it survive voters, who twice turned down other pool projects?

The conundrum had a simple solution: Bank on the Greensboro Parks and Recreation Department brand — and keep quiet about a regional swim center with the 50-meter pool.

The strategy won for bond advocates, who were pleasantly surprised with the comfortable 57 percent approval rate for the $20 million parks and recreation bond.

“People see it in a different context when it is associated with the whole parks and recreation system,” said Trish Martin, president of the Greensboro Swim Association. “It starts to seem a lot more like a thing that is for everyone and not just the swimming community.”

The $12 million center, with a warm-up pool, diving well and spectator seating, was the largest item on the bond that includes repairs and upgrades to facilities across Greensboro. It’s unclear when the pool will be built.

In 2000 and 2006, voters rejected bids to build pools at the downtown YMCA and at the Coliseum complex.

Both years, swimming promoters came out in full force to support the cause. They put up signs. They wrote letters to the newspaper. They talked to community groups and went on TV.

That didn’t work, so this year they needed to do something different.

Parks and Recreation Commissioner David Hoggard urged the swim advocates to lie low, lest their promotion sink the whole bond package.

Supporters instead sent handwritten letters to friends and rallied the swimming community to the cause.

And they let the parks and recreation’s good name stand on it own.

“We thought that the best thing we had going for us is the parks and recreation name,” said Ted Oliver, from the Greensboro Swim Association.

Parks and Recreation Director Bonnie Kuester said that in her 40 years with the department, a parks and recreation bond referendum has never failed.

“If voters are going to give parks and recreation money, they are going to do the right thing with it,” Hoggard said.

A lot of work needs to be done before swimmers will be able to dive into a new pool.

City staff, which had not planned to have the pool be a part of this bond issue, still needs to scope out locations and design the project.

Bond money for the pool will not be available until 2009 at the earliest, and the design is expect to take a year.

The bond also will provide improvement to five existing pools. The Grimsley pool will be renovated and the Peeler, Warnersville, Windsor and Lindley pools will be repaired.

That’s more good news for the swim association, which has used the Lindley pool for its summertime meet for 50 years.

“We are happy to know that pool will be taken care of and it will be around for another 50 years,” Martin said.

Contact Amanda Lehmert at 373-7075 or amanda.lehmert@news-record.com