Rubio Chooses Miami's Freedom Tower To Announce 2016 Plans

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MIAMI (CBSMiami /AP) -- Florida Senator Marco Rubio will make his big announcement at the historic Freedom Tower in downtown Miami.

Rubio, on Thursday, told our news partners at the Miami Herald that the rally is scheduled for April 13th.

The 11-story Freedom Tower that, for more than a decade, was where refugees first met with U.S. government officials after leaving Cuba off the Florida coast.

"To me, it's a place that's symbolic of the promise of America," Rubio, a first-generation Cuban-America, said in an interview with the paper.

Rubio earlier in the week announced the date of his announcement during an appearance on Fox News. Thursday's interview disclosed the location, and aides said he would not reveal his 2016 plans before the event at Freedom Tower.

The drip-drop release of information was designed to build buzz for the likely presidential contender, as was the nod to Rubio's potential as the nation's first Hispanic president.

"Literally, five decades ago, tens of thousands of people came here after losing their country and began their new life," Rubio told The Herald. "The first steps they took in this country were in the hall that we'll be standing in."

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