City of Miami commissioners passed two votes on an emotionally charged day where advocates for and against made their voices heard for nearly nine hours.

The first vote was to approve the ballpark, and that passed, 3-2. Commissioners supporting the project were Angel Gonzalez, Joe Sanchez and Michelle Spence-Jones.

The second vote -- equally important -- needed four-fifths approval to address who will be responsible for the infrastructure related to the project. That passed by a 4-1 vote, as Marc Sarnoff cast the swing vote in favor, after initially opposing the vote.

With the city vote in hand, the Marlins are closer than ever to getting their own ballpark. Still standing in the way is a vote on Monday with the 13 Miami-Dade County commissioners.

"I believe that was the end of Game 6, and we're now headed to Game 7," said Marlins president David Samson, summarizing the day in baseball terms.

"The county, at the end of the day, will have the final say as to whether this ballpark goes forward. If there is a positive vote on Monday, there obviously will be much more to say. Today, we appreciate the city taking the time to understand the issues, to dissect the issues and to make the best decisions they can for their constituents."

The City of Miami commissioners gave a green light to pursue constructing a 37,000-seat retractable-roof ballpark on the Orange Bowl grounds in the Little Havana section of Miami.

Now half the battle has been won to make the stadium a reality.

"The votes have been counted," Marlins owner Jeffrey Loria said. "The timing couldn't be better. It couldn't be more correct, even with what's been going on in this country."

It's been a long process to make it this far. Initially, the vote was set for Jan. 22, but that date was moved to Feb. 13, which turned out to be a wild day. City commissioners were unable to resolve the matter then, and the vote was deadlocked at 2-2. There were only four commissioners instead of five then, since Spence-Jones was absent because she was on maternity leave.

The new stadium and parking lot project is estimated to cost $625 million. It will include contributions from the city, county and the Marlins.

Since the Marlins' inaugural season in 1993, three different owners have tried to secure funding for a new ballpark.

The timing of Thursday's vote comes during difficult economic times, and more than 70 people spoke during the public hearing that lasted nearly 3 1/2 hours.

"All across the country, we all know jobs are needed," Loria said. "Families need paychecks."

The topic of jobs was heavy on everyone's mind in the meeting. Supporters included union workers and those who could benefit by the hundreds of jobs that would be created for the project.

The proposed park is scheduled to open in 2012. The team is hopeful to break ground by July. When it moves into the stadium, the team will change its name to the Miami Marlins.

Major League Baseball president Bob DuPuy was in attendance. He has been a fixture in the stadium question, attending numerous meetings.

"We're very gratified and appreciate the deliberation and the sense of the community," DuPuy said. "It's been a long effort. We go to the county on Monday, and hopefully they will be persuaded that this is the right thing for the community.

"We're just hoping that we're going to provide a legacy for the community."

Thursday's vote came a day after Miami played host to the final game of Pool 2 play in the second round of the World Baseball Classic. Venezuela won the pool, beating Team USA. Both countries are headed to the semifinals in Los Angeles.

If the new stadium is approved, the Marlins plan to seek hosting the finals of the Classic in 2013.

MLB has stressed its commitment to South Florida. But the Marlins and league have noted the team can't survive long term without a new ballpark.

The Marlins are under lease to remain at Dolphin Stadium through 2011. If the county approves the ballpark, the club plans to negotiate a one-year extension to stay at Dolphin Stadium.

"For all the people who were not in support, I encourage them to look around the country and see, for buildings that have been built, no one looks back and says that this wasn't good," Samson said.

Commissioner Tomas Regalado opposed the measure, but added he was touched by the people who spoke in the public hearing about needing work.

"I was really moved by the aspirations of the people to get the jobs," Regalado said. "We only have aspirations. We don't have assurances."

Arguing for the stadium, city manager Pedro Hernandez noted that if the building is voted down, the public funds earmarked would not then be allowed to be used for police, firefighters or schools. It also was noted that the Marlins, not the city, are responsible for overruns.

The lease for the stadium would be 35 years, and Miami-Dade County, not the Marlins, would own the ballpark.

Sanchez agreed that the park would create jobs.

"People don't care if they are short-term or long-term jobs," Sanchez said. "They want to work."

Sanchez added he feels the project would create "economic vitality" around the ballpark. The broader plan for the Little Havana area is the stadium would lead to more construction and development in the surrounding area.

"The number of jobs lost last year, it's alarming," Sanchez said.

After years of debate, Samson says the public has spoken.

"This was the seventh vote we've had in this city," Samson said. "It was open to public hearing every single time. Plus, people have voted in the ballot box. They have elected commissioners to speak for them, and the commissioners have spoken. That is where we are today."