It is a rare piece of good news for the $412 million arts center, which has been buffeted by cost overruns, construction delays, and the bankruptcy of the Florida Philharmonic, which was to have been its primary tenant. Originally scheduled to open in fall 2004, it is now scheduled to open in late 2006.

The 2007 residency will begin with two weeks of concerts starting January 18 and featuring Beethoven's Ninth Symphony; the final week will take place in March. It will also include educational activities: the Cleveland Orchestra will expand its existing partnership with the New World Symphony, Michael Tilson Thomas's training orchestra, and begin a relationship with the University of Miami's Frost School of Music.

The Cleveland Orchestra will continue its annual residencies at Carnegie Hall, the Musikverein in Vienna, and the Lucerne Festival in Switzerland.

"This landmark agreement with the Cleveland Orchestra is one of Miami's most innovative and exciting initiatives, and it will have a tremendous impact on the international reputation of our city as a cultural destination," said Michael Hardy, president and CEO of Miami Performing Arts Center. "We welcome this exhilarating orchestra to their new home away from home, and believe that the Clevelanders will transform the concert-going scene in South Florida."

Some local observers said that the regular visits from the Cleveland Orchestra would make the creation of a successor to the Florida Philharmonic less likely. "It discourages and maybe deters people from contributing the money necessary and the energy necessary to start to build a quality orchestra in Miami," Julian Kreeger, a former advisor to the Philharmonic, told the New York Times.

The Miami Performing Arts Center was designed by Cesar Pelli, with acoustics by Russell Johnson of New York's ARTEC, Inc. It will include a 2,400-seat auditorium and a 200-seat theater, as well as educational facilities.