{"id":112779,"date":"2026-01-06T14:59:11","date_gmt":"2026-01-06T14:59:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/112779\/"},"modified":"2026-01-06T14:59:11","modified_gmt":"2026-01-06T14:59:11","slug":"downtown-dallas-mulls-future-as-atts-preps-for-move-to-plano","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/112779\/","title":{"rendered":"Downtown Dallas mulls future as AT&T\u2019s preps for move to Plano"},"content":{"rendered":"

AT&T<\/a>\u2018s 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.<\/p>\n

On Monday morning, the telecommunications giant announced it would move its global headquarters to a 54-acre property in Plano<\/a>. 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\u2019s urban core and beyond. <\/p>\n

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. <\/p>\n

Related<\/p>\n

\"Pedestrians<\/p>\n

At the Discovery District\u2019s 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. <\/p>\n

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The Dallas Morning News spoke with several employees \u2015 who did not want to be identified \u2015 about the headquarters move, which is expected to be a gradual process beginning in 2028. <\/p>\n

Around 6,000 AT&T employees were assigned to the downtown building as of 2022, and their reactions to the news were accordingly broad.<\/p>\n

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. <\/p>\n

Some departments within the company use drop-in seating, which means employees don\u2019t 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.<\/p>\n

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. <\/p>\n

Others, however, were concerned that consolidating offices into one complex would result in more crowding.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

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. <\/p>\n

\"Employees<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

Tom Fox \/ Staff Photographer<\/p>\n

While he appreciated the \u201ccool\u201d 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\u2019s Legacy West area, with one hypothesizing that AT&T is chasing the young families it is trying to employ. <\/p>\n

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\u2019s goal this year was to buy a house, but they now have to reconsider. <\/p>\n

Some employees liked the downtown office and downtown in general, while others thought the building was old and the area unsafe. <\/p>\n

\u2018Certainly doesn\u2019t help\u2019<\/p>\n

Several local businesses were upset by the news, as many establishments rely on downtown workers coming in for lunch and happy hour. <\/p>\n

An exit of AT&T downtown would deliver a blow to Frankie\u2019s, a downtown sports bar on Main Street, according to Brittany Smith, managing partner and general manager. The business offers a discount to the company\u2019s employees, and that helps attract a lot of dollars from the company. <\/p>\n

Approximately 75% of its private events space is for AT&T and \u201cthe lunch business probably about the same,\u201d Smith said. \u201cThat\u2019s not something that we\u2019re super excited about,\u201d Smith said. <\/p>\n

With a pullout by AT&T, Smith would look to market \u201cto other companies downtown\u201d and offer \u201cthat same discount\u201d to try to spread its reach a little bit more.<\/p>\n

Ari Lowenstein, the owner of Ari\u2019s Pantry, an Italian market at the corner of Ervay and Main streets, said the news was \u201cunfortunate\u201d because his store had a lot of customers from AT&T.<\/p>\n

\u201cEvery time we lose a major commercial player downtown, it certainly doesn\u2019t help,\u201d he said, noting that he hopes the space \u201cwill be converted into something else.\u201d <\/p>\n

\"Owner<\/p>\n

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. <\/p>\n

Christine Vo \/ Staff Photographer<\/p>\n

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\u2019s attractive for some people, he observed. <\/p>\n

\u201cWe have customers from there. I have noticed a trend of \u2026 downtown-dwelling transplants who\u2019ve 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.\u201d<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

\"An<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

Tom Fox \/ Staff Photographer<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re still quite bullish on downtown. \u2026\u201cI believe in downtown Dallas,\u201d Lowenstein said. <\/p>\n

\u201cThey have, you know, fits and starts, but in the long run, we believe downtown Dallas is going to be a winning location,\u201d he stated, touting the apartment and office spaces. <\/p>\n

\u201cAnd those two things together make a winning combination.\u201d<\/p>\n

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<\/a>, both touted successes downtown has had in managing concerns like crime and homelessness.<\/p>\n

That sentiment was echoed by Downtown Dallas Inc. President and CEO Jennifer Scripps. <\/p>\n

Related<\/p>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

\u201cAT&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\u2019s 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,\u201d Scripps said in a statement. <\/p>\n

\u201cThe company\u2019s presence helped catalyze redevelopment, innovation, and confidence in Downtown at a pivotal moment in the city\u2019s history, including the creation of the AT&T Discovery District as a signature public space.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe company\u2019s 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 \u2018Y\u2019all Street.\u2019 Downtown continues to make meaningful progress\u2014billions of dollars in public investment are underway, and significant private redevelopment remains in the pipeline,” she added. <\/p>\n

\u201cWhile 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.\u201d<\/p>\n

Staff writer Nick Wooten contributed to this report. <\/p>\n

Dallas City Hall helped Dallas lose AT&T<\/a>What we know (and don\u2019t) about AT&T\u2019s decision to move HQ to Plano<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"AT&T\u2018s plan to move its headquarters from its Akard Street skyscraper in Dallas to Plano sparked a range…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":112780,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[15],"tags":[6861,910,109,160,162,161,111],"class_list":{"0":"post-112779","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-plano","8":"tag-att","9":"tag-business","10":"tag-downtown-dallas","11":"tag-plano","12":"tag-plano-headlines","13":"tag-plano-news","14":"tag-real-estate"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/112779","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=112779"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/112779\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/112780"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=112779"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=112779"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=112779"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}