Dolphins owner Stephen Ross and CEO Mike Dee had a message for the public Monday as they unveiled a renovation plan for Sun Life Stadium that they hope will be funded with a mix of public and private money:

We’re not the Marlins.

Without referencing the baseball team directly, Ross and Dee said at a news conference at their stadium that they understand the furor over the recent Marlins Park deal, in which the public paid some $500 million of the $634 million cost, only to see ownership dismantle the team and backtrack on promises to fans.

The Dolphins’ leadership promised to pay for at least half of their proposed renovations, which are expected to cost $375 million to $400 million.

Ross and Dee also emphasized that tourists – not local residents – would provide much of the public monies for improvements designed to shield fans from inclement weather and to bring the Super Bowl back to South Florida.

The Dolphins are proposing an increase in the “bed tax” paid by hotel visitors in Miami-Dade County and an increase in the sales tax rebate the team already receives from the state.

“We recognize the public certainly has a feeling about the deals that have been done in the recent past in respect to stadiums and ballparks, and we have to approach this differently,” Dee said. “We have to go about our business very carefully and in a straightforward way, and bring to this process a solution that works for the community.”

The impetus behind the plan is Super Bowl 50, to be played in February 2016. The Dolphins believe that Sun Life Stadium — built in 1987 with private money by team founder Joe Robbie — requires a “comprehensive modernization” to win owners’ approval for the Super Bowl. The other finalist is San Francisco, which is building a $1.2 billion stadium.

The vote for Super Bowl 50 is May 22 in Boston, putting the Dolphins in a time crunch and making a public referendum impractical. The Dolphins hope the renovations could be completed before the 2015 season, and that the team could play at in the stadium during construction.

The Dolphins also believe that renovating the stadium would improve disappointing attendance in recent years at Dolphins and University of Miami games.

Among the proposed renovations designed by Kansas City firm 360 Architecture (which also built New Jersey’s MetLife Stadium):

• A canopy that would protects fans from sun and rain but leave the playing field exposed to the elements.

• Adding 3,700 lower-deck seats and moving them 18 feet closer to the sidelines.

• Going from two to four high-definition video screens, one for each corner of the stadium.

• Improved lighting for high-def telecasts; more comfortable seats; wider concourses; improved food services and field-level suites.

Ross said he would pay for at least half of the project with his own money, but also expects the public to contribute.

“There’s a limit of how much capital you can put into something,” said Ross, who pointed out that he paid more for the Dolphins ($1.1 billion in 2009) than any individual has paid for a U.S. sports franchise. “The dollar amount that I’m willing to put in is probably unmatched.”

Dee said the Dolphins haven’t settled on a solution as to the public-private split, but are looking for public money from two sources:

• An increase from 6 to 7 percent on the “bed tax” on mainland Miami-Dade hotels (not Miami Beach) that would potentially generate up to $10 million per year.

• A sales tax rebate from the state of $3 million per year for 30 years, on top of a $2 million rebate the Dolphins already receive.

The state legislature would have to approve the increased rebate and would have to lift a current cap on the bed tax. The new session begins March 5. The Miami-Dade Commission would be asked to approve the increased bed tax.

Dee warned that without renovations, South Florida could be shut out of Super Bowls and other big events – and the millions of dollars they can inject into the community – for years.

“A private-public partnership just seems sensible in this case, given what’s on the line economically,” Dee said. “Make no mistake, we’re willing to pay more than our fair share. Steve told me, ‘We’ve got to find a way to make this happen.’ ”

The Dolphins also said they would protect the public from cost over-runs and pledge to remain in Miami Gardens for at least 25 years if the improvements were funded.

But Dee said there is “no implication” that the Dolphins are threatening to move.