MIAMI -- The Florida Marlins -- soon to be called the Miami Marlins -- finally have a place of their own.

After lengthy and often-contentious debate, Miami-Dade County commissioners -- some doing so grudgingly -- voted 9-3 Thursday night to approve a plan to fund the majority of a $515 million, retractable-roof stadium that would open in time for the 2011 season.

City of Miami commissioners voted 4-1 to approve partial funding for a new baseball stadium earlier in the day. Commissioner Tomas Regalado was the lone no vote.

As part of the agreement, the team pledged to change its name to the Miami Marlins and remain in South Florida for 35 years.

"We're not building this for the Miami Marlins," Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos Alvarez said. "We are building this stadium for our community."

The 37,000-seat facility will be built at the site of the Orange Bowl, which is being demolished to make way for the new ballpark.

Under terms of the agreement, the county will pay for the bulk of the financing. Miami-Dade County will spend $347 million in stadium construction costs, of which $297 million will come from tourism taxes. The other $50 million will come in the form of bonds.

The Marlins will spend $120 million up front and another $35 million in annual rent payments of $2.3 million -- a total of $155 million. The city contributes the smallest amount, spending $13 million in hotel bed taxes, but will contribute $10 million for the demolition of the Orange Bowl and $94 million for a 6,000-space parking garage.

All stadium revenues will go to the Marlins, but the team agreed to buy 5,750 parking spots from the city, essentially paying off the cost of constructing a parking garage.

"The stadium is the last piece of the puzzle which will allow us to compete year after year for titles, pennants and series championships," Marlins owner Jeffrey Loria said.

But several issues, including deciding if city or county police and fire departments will be assigned duties at the new facility, remain unresolved. An agreement on the police-fire staffing issue must be reached within 30 days or the plan might fall through.

As well, auto magnate Normal Braman has filed a lawsuit challenging the use of taxpayer dollars towards the construction of a new ballpark without coming before a vote.

The Marlins have sought for nearly a decade to have their own ballpark. The two-time World Series champions have played their home games at Dolphin Stadium since their inception in 1993.

"The fact is we have a binding agreement for a new stadium -- the Miami Marlins ballpark," Marlins President David Samson said.