AT&T Picks Plano for New 54-Acre Global Headquarters Campus

AT&T announced on Jan. 5 that it will develop a new global headquarters campus at 5400 Legacy Drive in Plano on a 54-acre parcel formerly part of the Electronic Data Systems campus. Chief Executive John Stankey told employees the company is targeting partial occupancy as early as the second half of 2028. Company officials framed the project as a consolidation of its Dallas-Fort Worth administrative footprint, bringing offices currently in Dallas, Plano and Irving onto a single, horizontal campus designed to foster collaboration and innovation.

The site is owned by Dallas developer NexPoint, which previously proposed large-scale redevelopment of the property under plans known as the Texas Research Quarter and related life sciences concepts. That prior vision for mixed-use and research-focused redevelopment suggests the new AT&T campus could integrate with broader redevelopment efforts already under discussion for the Legacy Drive corridor.

Local officials and developers in Collin County say the campus will have direct economic benefits for Plano. Expect increased daytime population and higher demand for nearby restaurants, retail and professional services, along with added property tax revenue and potential increases in local hiring. The development timeline means construction and ancillary projects could begin to affect traffic patterns, transit planning and housing demand well before employees move in.

The decision also carries implications for downtown Dallas. By consolidating administrative functions into a single suburban campus, AT&T could reduce its downtown office footprint, a factor that local commercial real estate professionals say may influence vacancy rates and property values in the central business district. At the same time, AT&T has a history of investments in downtown Dallas that may moderate any immediate shocks. The balance between a new suburban headquarters and existing urban holdings will be a key variable for landlords, tenants and city planners.

Policy questions for Collin County and the City of Plano include transportation capacity, zoning and infrastructure financing. A development of this scale typically prompts reviews of roadway improvements, parking and transit access, as well as consideration of incentives or public-private partnerships to maximize community benefits. Officials will need to weigh short-term construction impacts against longer-term gains in jobs and tax base.

What matters for residents is timing and scope: partial occupancy could begin in the second half of 2028, so changes to commuting patterns, retail activity and local services could appear as early as the next few years. As plans firm up with NexPoint and AT&T, city leaders, developers and neighborhood stakeholders will be watching project details, staging and any public infrastructure commitments tied to the campus.