AT&T‘s plan to move its headquarters from its Akard Street skyscraper in Dallas to Plano sparked a range of emotions among downtown stakeholders of all kinds.
On Monday morning, the telecommunications giant announced it would move its global headquarters to a 54-acre property in Plano. Long an anchor tenant in downtown, AT&T plans to be partially moved into its new complex by 2028, according to CEO John Stankey. Its departure will have major consequences for the city’s urban core and beyond.
For some, like several AT&T employees, the move could prove to be a good thing. For others, like local business owners, it brings uncertainty and fear.
Related
At the Discovery District’s Exchange Food Hall, chatter among AT&T employees eating to lunch could be heard throughout the sprawling food court, as they discussed the decision, announced in an email from Stankey Monday morning.
Business Briefing
The Dallas Morning News spoke with several employees ― who did not want to be identified ― about the headquarters move, which is expected to be a gradual process beginning in 2028.
Around 6,000 AT&T employees were assigned to the downtown building as of 2022, and their reactions to the news were accordingly broad.
One group praised the decision as a good business move, as it would consolidate AT&T employees across offices and allow more space to grow.
Some departments within the company use drop-in seating, which means employees don’t have assigned desks, and are sometimes confined to uncomfortable high-top tables if they arrive later than their colleagues. Several employees noted they hoped this practice would go away with more space in the new Plano complex.
Many also hoped the new space would alleviate parking headaches some employees, many of whom commute, face. While employees get assigned parking garages, those vary in distance from Whitacre Tower, with some people having to take shuttles.
Others, however, were concerned that consolidating offices into one complex would result in more crowding.
Employees estimated that with a move to Plano, commute times would drop for about half of their colleagues and increase for the other half, a trend reflected in the respondents themselves.
While some lived in areas like Richardson and McKinney, others had roots in Dallas and areas closer to downtown. One Denton-based employee said members of his team came from all across North Texas, including south Fort Worth, Grand Prairie, Arlington and Sherman, and the headquarters move would affect all of them differently.
Employees and visitors of AT&T leave their offices at the end of the day, passing through AT&T Discovery plaza in downtown Dallas, December 3, 2024.
Tom Fox / Staff Photographer
While he appreciated the “cool” of downtown, he said the new office in Plano could also be attractive, if AT&T did it right. Several others brought up the appeal of Plano’s Legacy West area, with one hypothesizing that AT&T is chasing the young families it is trying to employ.
For some AT&T staffers, many of whom are younger, the move is a disappointment as they live close to downtown. Ironically, one just recently moved from Plano to Lower Greenville, while another said her and her spouse’s goal this year was to buy a house, but they now have to reconsider.
Some employees liked the downtown office and downtown in general, while others thought the building was old and the area unsafe.
‘Certainly doesn’t help’
Several local businesses were upset by the news, as many establishments rely on downtown workers coming in for lunch and happy hour.
An exit of AT&T downtown would deliver a blow to Frankie’s, a downtown sports bar on Main Street, according to Brittany Smith, managing partner and general manager. The business offers a discount to the company’s employees, and that helps attract a lot of dollars from the company.
Approximately 75% of its private events space is for AT&T and “the lunch business probably about the same,” Smith said. “That’s not something that we’re super excited about,” Smith said.
With a pullout by AT&T, Smith would look to market “to other companies downtown” and offer “that same discount” to try to spread its reach a little bit more.
Ari Lowenstein, the owner of Ari’s Pantry, an Italian market at the corner of Ervay and Main streets, said the news was “unfortunate” because his store had a lot of customers from AT&T.
“Every time we lose a major commercial player downtown, it certainly doesn’t help,” he said, noting that he hopes the space “will be converted into something else.”
Owner Ari Lowenstein provided a sample of gelato at Ari’s Pantry on Wednesday, Nov. 19, 2025, in Dallas. Lowenstein serves a variety of flavors, from pistachio to espresso.
Christine Vo / Staff Photographer
Lowenstein said the talent AT&T attracts can prefer an urban environment. Employees have been able to work downtown and also live in the city core, and that’s attractive for some people, he observed.
“We have customers from there. I have noticed a trend of … downtown-dwelling transplants who’ve come to move [to] downtown Dallas because you can still live in downtown Dallas affordably compared to living downtown in a lot of other cities.”
Still, he is optimistic about the future of downtown Dallas, including efforts with the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center and events such as the 2026 World Cup.
An exterior view of Ari’s Pantry on Main Street in downtown Dallas, May 14, 2025. The Italian gourmet market offers pasta, charcuterie, fresh produce, cookbooks, gift baskets, coffee and gelato bars, and fresh, ready-to-eat meals.
Tom Fox / Staff Photographer
“We’re still quite bullish on downtown. …“I believe in downtown Dallas,” Lowenstein said.
“They have, you know, fits and starts, but in the long run, we believe downtown Dallas is going to be a winning location,” he stated, touting the apartment and office spaces.
“And those two things together make a winning combination.”
Local leaders, meanwhile, tried to stay upbeat in light of the news. While disappointment was reflected in statements made by Mayor Eric Johnson and City Manager Kimberly Bizor Tolbert, both touted successes downtown has had in managing concerns like crime and homelessness.
That sentiment was echoed by Downtown Dallas Inc. President and CEO Jennifer Scripps.
Related
“AT&T has been a good corporate partner to the City of Dallas for nearly two decades. Since relocating its global headquarters to Downtown in 2008, AT&T has helped anchor Dallas’s emergence as a global business center, invested hundreds of millions of dollars in the urban core, and supported thousands of jobs held by Dallas residents,” Scripps said in a statement.
“The company’s presence helped catalyze redevelopment, innovation, and confidence in Downtown at a pivotal moment in the city’s history, including the creation of the AT&T Discovery District as a signature public space.”
“The company’s announcement does not change our conviction that Downtown Dallas is one of the best places in the country to do business. The urban core remains the economic engine of the region and the center of ‘Y’all Street.’ Downtown continues to make meaningful progress—billions of dollars in public investment are underway, and significant private redevelopment remains in the pipeline,” she added.
“While this moment is challenging, it also creates space for new opportunities and continued reinvention. DDI remains focused on advancing a long-term vision for a vibrant, competitive, and globally relevant urban core.”
Staff writer Nick Wooten contributed to this report.
Dallas City Hall helped Dallas lose AT&TWhat we know (and don’t) about AT&T’s decision to move HQ to Plano