Plano, Texas’s Planning and Zoning Commission approved preliminary site plans on May 4 for AT&T’s $1 billion-plus headquarters campus at 5400 Legacy Drive. The 2 million-square-foot development will include a 230-foot tower displaying the company’s logo and housing a communications antenna, a day care center, a pedestrian bridge to the Shops at Legacy, and substantial open space. The commission also approved rezoning for 1.4 acres at Legacy Drive and Parkwood Boulevard to accommodate the antenna within a 0.76-acre plaza. Final approval from Plano City Council is still required, and any structure over 200 feet must receive Federal Aviation Administration clearance.
The project represents a major corporate headquarters migration from urban Dallas to a northern suburb, with AT&T planning to relocate roughly 10,000 workers from its downtown Whitacre Tower location. Plano approved a $20 million incentive package in February—the city’s largest ever—contingent on AT&T investing at least $1.35 billion and creating 10,000 jobs. CEO John Stankey told employees that move-ins could begin in the second half of 2028. The developer is KDC, with design by Gensler and landscape work by SWA Group.
The shift adds to a pattern of major employers choosing suburban campuses with extensive amenities over downtown towers. Plano city staff flagged concerns that existing water and wastewater infrastructure may not support 10,000 workers; site owner NexPoint will need to negotiate upgrades with the city. AT&T has occupied Whitacre Tower since relocating its headquarters from San Antonio to Dallas in 2008. The company remains the largest public firm based in Dallas, with approximately 133,000 employees and a market capitalization near $180 billion as of May 5.
Dallas Business Journal
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