Talks are still going on a project aiming to bring baseball back to downtown Knoxville. The discussion comes and goes, but this week, Mayor Madeline Rogero brought up the idea in front of Knoxville City Council.

The idea came up two years ago in light of some property purchases in the Old City by Smokies owner Randy Boyd.

Boyd said at the time he had no immediate plans for the property. Emails that WATE 6 On Your Side obtained showed the downtown ballpark idea had been discussed for years.

Fast forward to August of this year, and the mayor announced that two of her deputies would head up talks with Smokies managers.

Speaking at City Council on Wednesday night, Rogery said baseball helps downtowns around the country, creating jobs, growing communities and improving their quality of life.

“We all enjoyed going there and it was a great thing to have in our community. And we have them just a short drive away in Sevier County, since the 2000 season, but despite that, we’d love to have them closer. We’d love to have them back to their roots in the heart of our city,” said Rogero.

Rogero also said the conversations with the team’s management are still taking place, but there’s nothing to report just yet.