DALLAS — AT&T, a Fortune 50 telecommunications company, plans to move its global headquarters out of downtown Dallas and move roughly 20 miles north to the suburb of Plano, a decision that has sparked concern among residents and business leaders about the future of the city’s urban core.
What You Need To Know
AT&T plans to move its headquarters from downtown Dallas to Plano by 2028
The company cites cost-effective consolidation and shorter employee commutes as reasons for the move
Local stakeholders are expressing concerns about the future of downtown Dallas
The move will mark the end of AT&T’s nearly two-decade presence in downtown Dallas, where the company has been a major anchor employer and economic driver.
AT&T says the move will allow the company to cost-effectively consolidate operations while expanding horizontally on a 54-acre campus in Plano by 2028. The company has also said the relocation will help shorten employee commute times.
The announcement has drawn mixed reactions from downtown stakeholders, including Christopher Kratovil, an attorney with Dykema who works a few blocks from the AT&T Discovery District.
“We are invested in downtown Dallas being successful. We hate to see AT&T go,” Kratovil said.
Kratovil described the move as reflective of broader changes facing downtown Dallas, noting that the area’s strongest period may already be behind it.
“The high point of downtown was probably 2017, 2018, 2019,” he said.
Those years preceded a series of uncertainties for the city’s core, including the future of flagship retailer Neiman Marcus, discussions about demolishing and relocating City Hall and ongoing efforts by the city to retain major professional sports teams such as the Dallas Stars and Dallas Mavericks. The Stars have publicly explored the possibility of relocating to Plano.
“Think we’re at an inflection point in downtown Dallas, and downtown Dallas needs a few wins,” Kratovil said.
Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson said in a statement that the city attempted to keep AT&T but will instead focus on other major investments, including a new Goldman Sachs campus and the emerging financial district dubbed “Y’all Street.”
“The future of our city – and our urban core – is bright,” Johnson said in the statement.
The relocation has also entered the political conversation. During a recent reelection campaign stop in Fort Worth, Gov. Greg Abbott blamed crime and homelessness as contributing factors to companies leaving downtown Dallas.
Dallas Police Chief Daniel Comeaux disputed that claim, saying police remain proactive in the central business district. Comeaux cited two-minute response times and 196 arrests in 2025.
“They have statistics to back that up, but on some level that doesn’t matter. What matters is the perception,” Kratovil said.
Despite the uncertainty, Kratovil and others say they remain hopeful the move will not define the future of downtown Dallas.