For nearly three decades, the massive headquarters of Electronic Data Systems stood as one of Plano’s most recognizable landmarks. On Aug. 9, it was gone in a matter of seconds.
The former EDS main building, affectionately known as the “God Pod,” was brought down in a controlled implosion at 8 a.m., clearing the way for a new chapter on the 54-acre property near Legacy Drive and Parkwood Boulevard.
The demolition drew a crowd along Parkwood Boulevard, with longtime employees, families and curious onlookers gathering in lawn chairs and on sidewalks to watch the building disappear. Some children perched on their parents’ shoulders as the countdown approached.
Photo: Matilda Preisendorf | Local Profile
Then came the booms. Car alarms sounded as the ground shook, followed by a massive cloud of dust, smoke and debris that rolled across Parkwood and Legacy.
From Ross Perot’s EDS To A Plano Landmark
The story of the property goes back to Ross Perot, who founded EDS in Dallas in 1962 with $1,000. The company helped pioneer information technology outsourcing, using unused mainframe computer capacity to process data for businesses and government agencies.
EDS expanded rapidly, going public in 1968 before General Motors purchased the company for $2.5 billion in 1984. The company later became independent again in 1996.
Meanwhile, Perot’s Plano campus was taking shape. Construction began in stages in the mid-1980s, with the main headquarters building opening in 1992 and the final construction completed in 1993.
For years, the campus served as the center of EDS operations and became closely associated with Perot and the technology company he built.
The corporate name eventually disappeared. Hewlett-Packard acquired EDS for $13.9 billion in 2008 and phased out the EDS name. HP Enterprise Services later merged with Computer Sciences Corporation in 2017, creating DXC Technology.
But the Plano property remained a familiar piece of the city’s corporate landscape.
What Comes Next For The Site
The EDS campus sat vacant for seven years before plans emerged to redevelop the property. Now, the site is set to become AT&T’s new global headquarters, a $1.3 billion project expected to bring about 10,000 employees to the Plano campus.
AT&T announced in January that it would establish its headquarters at 5400 Legacy Drive, bringing together administrative operations currently spread across Dallas, Plano and Irving.
Once complete, the new campus will serve as AT&T’s primary headquarters and consolidate teams under one roof.
Plano approved an incentive package worth up to $20 million tied to the redevelopment and job creation, along with a long-term property tax rebate agreement.
The transformation marks a striking change for one of Plano’s most recognizable corporate sites: the building that once represented the rise of Perot’s technology empire is now making way for the next generation of corporate headquarters.
For those who gathered to watch the “God Pod” fall, though, the morning was about more than demolition. For former EDS employees, it was a final goodbye to a place where they spent years building careers and memories.
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