> At a Glance
> – AT&T will relocate its corporate headquarters from downtown Dallas to 5400 Legacy Drive in Plano
> – The move affects ~6,000 employees based in the 37-story Whitacre Tower
> – New campus targets mid-2028 partial occupancy
> – Why it matters: The exit creates a vacancy in Dallas’ Discovery District and shifts a telecom giant to a suburban, horizontal campus
After almost a year of internal review, AT&T is trading its downtown Dallas skyscraper for a sprawling Plano campus. The decision ends the company’s 16-year run in the city’s urban core.
Why AT&T Is Leaving
CEO John Stankey told staff that leadership wanted a “horizontal location with significant acreage for development,” prompting the search that landed on Legacy Drive. City leaders confirmed the preference.
Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson and City Manager Kim Tolbert noted the company favored a “large horizontal, suburban-style campus” over high-rise headquarters.
What Stays and What Goes
- Whitacre Tower, AT&T’s 37-story Dallas HQ since 2008, will empty
- Discovery District, the 2021 outdoor corporate campus, faces uncertain future
- Plano’s Legacy business district gains a marquee tenant
City Reactions
Plano Mayor John Muns hailed the move as “fresh momentum” for the Legacy area and a springboard for its next innovation cycle.
Dallas Mayor Pro Tem Jesse Moreno admitted the loss stings but vowed to rebound:
> “While it’s a bruise today, a bruise will disappear over time and we’ll come out stronger at the end.”
The City Council will now scout new headquarters prospects to keep the urban core competitive.
Key Takeaways
- AT&T vacates Dallas by 2028, ending a 16-year downtown tenure
- Plano secures a Fortune 500 anchor and thousands of jobs
- Dallas must reimagine the Discovery District and Whitacre Tower footprint
The relocation reshapes North Texas’ corporate geography, shifting telecom might from skyline to suburb.
