The plans to redevelop Family First Sports Park are gaining momentum.

On Monday, the Erie County Community Financing Authority approved a loan of up to $6.2 million for the Greater Regional Erie Athletic Team Training, or GREATT.

If approved by Erie County Council, the group will be able to move forward with its plans to purchase Family First Sports Park and transform it into a state-of-the art facility.

The first phase of the project is expected to cost $9.1 million.

Those plans include transforming the parks two indoor soccer fields into two NHL size hockey rinks.

With the JMC Ice Arena currently closed, GREATT President Bob Catalde says the need for a new rink is tremendous.

“The ice rinks are important certainly,’ said Catalde.  “But, there’s a need for better soccer and there’s a need for better indoor training, baseball, softball, and basketball and all of the other developments that we are trying to accomplish up there, but significantly with the ice rinks, there’s a need with JMC being down.”

Erie County Council is expected to vote on the loan next Tuesday.