AT&T has broken ground on its new $1.35 billion global headquarters in Plano, Texas, revealing the design of a 2.2-million-square-foot corporate campus that will bring together its Dallas-Fort Worth workforce. The November 12, 2026, groundbreaking marks a major milestone in the telecommunications company’s relocation from downtown Dallas to a 54-acre site in Plano’s Legacy business district.
The seven-building headquarters will include three parking garages, a welcome center, extensive employee amenities and a 250-foot working communications tower. Designed to accommodate approximately 10,000 employees, the development will consolidate AT&T teams from multiple North Texas locations into a connected campus built around collaboration, workplace technology and employee services.
The project also introduces a different approach to AT&T’s corporate headquarters. Instead of maintaining its existing high-rise arrangement in downtown Dallas, the company is developing a horizontal campus with interconnected buildings, outdoor spaces and shared facilities.
Inside the Renderings of AT&T’s New Plano Headquarters
The architectural renderings show a campus organized around seven office buildings, landscaped outdoor areas and a central gathering space. The buildings will range from approximately six to eight stories, creating a lower-rise development that spreads across the 54-acre property.
The design incorporates pedestrian connections and shared amenities intended to make movement between buildings easier while encouraging employees to interact outside their individual offices.
Among the planned facilities are a two-story food hall, childcare facilities, fitness and wellness centers, bowling lanes, golf simulators, pickleball courts, walking trails and outdoor recreation areas. The campus will also include a museum displaying artifacts from AT&T’s history.
Approximately 20% of the campus’s planned space is dedicated to amenities, according to project details reported by The Dallas Morning News. The design also includes elevated and enclosed pedestrian connections, allowing employees to move between buildings while providing protection from North Texas weather.
A major visual feature will be the approximately 250-foot communications tower, which will carry AT&T branding and serve as an operational part of the campus network.
The tower will anchor a development where connectivity is central to the design. AT&T plans to deploy fiber and 5G wireless infrastructure throughout the property, supporting artificial intelligence applications, real-time collaboration and other technology-dependent workplace functions.
$1.35 Billion Development Replaces Former EDS Headquarters
AT&T will build its new headquarters at 5400 Legacy Drive, on the former campus of Electronic Data Systems (EDS), the technology services company Ross Perot founded.
Crews demolished the former EDS headquarters, known for its distinctive architecture and often called the “God Pod,” in August 2026 to clear the site for AT&T’s development.
The redevelopment also includes a major material-recovery effort. KDC President Eric Hage said the team is recycling approximately 18,000 tons of structural steel and more than 220,000 tons of concrete from the former buildings.
The new campus will incorporate approximately 5,300 tons of structural steel and more than one million square feet of glass, according to details shared by the development team during the groundbreaking.
KDC is leading the development in partnership with AT&T, with Gensler responsible for architectural design. Austin Commercial and Turner are involved through a joint venture serving as general contractor, while CBRE is also part of the project team.
Hage said KDC is bringing its experience delivering large-scale developments in North Texas to the partnership.
“We are proud to partner with AT&T on a project that is raising the bar for the corporate campus of the future,” Hage said.
The development is expected to require more than 2,000 construction workers at peak activity, making it a substantial construction undertaking for the Plano area.
Plano’s Employment Commitments and Economic Incentives
Beyond the physical development, the headquarters represents a significant economic development agreement between AT&T and the City of Plano.
The city approved an agreement in February 2026 requiring AT&T to invest at least $1.35 billion in construction and deliver a minimum of 2 million square feet of office, amenity and retail space.
The agreement also establishes phased employment commitments totaling up to 10,000 full-time equivalent positions. These commitments can be met through transferring, retaining or creating positions at the property.
The employment targets include at least 4,000 positions by the project’s commencement date, another 4,000 by December 31, 2034, and up to 2,000 additional positions by December 31, 2039.
In support of the development, Plano approved economic incentives that include grants of up to $20 million and a separate property-tax rebate arrangement, subject to the agreements’ conditions.
For Plano, the investment strengthens the Legacy business district’s position as a major corporate employment center. The project will also create substantial demand for construction services, building materials, engineering and other businesses supporting large-scale commercial development.
AT&T’s Relocation Will Change Downtown Dallas
The Plano headquarters represents a major shift in AT&T’s North Texas real estate strategy.
The company has maintained its headquarters presence in downtown Dallas since 2008, occupying Whitacre Tower. Its move to Plano will bring together employees from its Dallas headquarters and other offices in the region, including Irving and Plano.
However, the transition will happen in phases. AT&T expects the first two office buildings and an initial parking garage to be ready for employee moves by the end of 2028. The remaining campus development is targeted for completion by mid-2029.
The move will significantly reduce AT&T’s downtown Dallas presence, although the company has indicated that it expects to retain a smaller presence in the city. The future of Whitacre Tower and the company’s downtown Discovery District remains an important question as the relocation progresses.
For the wider Dallas commercial property market, the departure of a major headquarters tenant creates a substantial real estate challenge. Whitacre Tower’s future occupancy will become particularly important as AT&T’s relocation advances.
John Stankey, chairman and CEO of AT&T, said the new headquarters represents a long-term investment in employees and the North Texas community.
“Our new headquarters in Plano is an investment for our current and future employees, and our North Texas community,” Stankey said. “With this new campus, we’re creating the environment that makes life better, drives collaboration and serves our customers for decades to come.”
With the first fiber connection installed and formal construction underway, AT&T’s new Plano headquarters is moving toward its next major milestone: the completion of its first office buildings and the initial employee relocation expected in 2028.
National trend
Additionally, the groundbreaking of AT&T’s $1.35 billion global headquarters in Plano comes as another major corporate headquarters development advances in the United States. In Nashville, Oracle has already celebrated the groundbreaking of its planned global headquarters on November 10, marking another major step in the development of the company’s new East Bank campus. Both projects underscore the scale of investment major technology companies are making in new headquarters, with significant implications for their respective cities
AT&T Global Headquarters: Project Factsheet
- Project: AT&T Global Headquarters
- Owner and Occupant: AT&T
- Developer: KDC
- Architect: Gensler
- General Contractor: Austin Commercial and Turner joint venture
- Real Estate Partner: CBRE
- Location: 5400 Legacy Drive, Plano, Texas, USA
- Investment: At least $1.35 billion
- Site Area: 54 acres
- Total Development Area: Approximately 2.2 million square feet
- Office Buildings: Seven
- Additional Facilities: Three parking garages and a welcome center
- Communications Infrastructure: Fiber-optic network, 5G connectivity and approximately 250-foot working communications tower
- Planned Capacity: Approximately 10,000 employees
- Employment Commitments: Up to 10,000 full-time equivalent positions
- Groundbreaking: November 12, 2026
- Expected First Employee Moves: Late 2028
- Expected Full Campus Completion: Mid-2029
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