AT&T officially broke ground on its new global headquarters in Plano on Nov. 12, marking the installation of the campus’s first fiber connection. The ceremony, attended by Mayor John Muns, City Manager Mark Israelson, AT&T CEO John Stankey, KDC President Eric Hage, Gensler Principal Scott Armstrong and CBRE Vice Chairman Andy Leatherman, signaled the start of construction on the 54‑acre site at 5400 Legacy Drive, the former Electronic Data Systems (EDS) campus (Local Profile).
The $1.35 billion development will span 2.2 million square feet across seven buildings and feature a 250‑foot cell tower that will serve as a new landmark. When completed, the campus is expected to house roughly 10,000 employees, consolidating AT&T offices currently spread across Dallas, Plano and Irving (Local Profile). The company anticipates welcoming its first employees in the second half of 2028, with the first two buildings ready that year and the full project slated for completion by April 2029 (Community Impact).
City officials highlighted the economic impact. Plano approved an incentive package worth up to $20 million, tied to capital investment, job creation and a long‑term property‑tax rebate, with performance‑based milestones required for the benefits (Local Profile). The city also expects the project to generate up to 10,000 jobs by 2039, meeting conditions of a city economic incentive approved Feb. 23 (Community Impact). During peak construction, up to 22,000 workers may be on site, according to KDC President Eric Hage (Community Impact).
Construction will involve significant material use and recycling. Approximately 5,300 tons of structural steel—comparable to the weight of 24 Statues of Liberty—will be installed, along with enough concrete to fill 80 Olympic‑sized swimming pools and more than 1 million square feet of glass. The developers plan to recycle roughly 18,000 tons of structural steel and over 220,000 tons of concrete from the former EDS buildings, and mature live oak trees will be saved for replanting across the new campus (Local Profile). The former EDS structures were demolished over six months, including two implosions (Community Impact).
AT&T emphasized the strategic importance of the fiber backbone. CEO John Stankey noted that AT&T operates 20 million miles of fiber in Texas, essential for both wireless and internet services, and that the new campus will strengthen that network (Community Impact). Senior Vice President of Global Real Estate and Security Michael Ford said Texas is becoming a major technology hub and AT&T is proud to be at its center (Community Impact).
What’s next: The first phase of the campus is slated to open in 2028, with full completion expected by April 2029. City officials will monitor progress against the incentive milestones to ensure the promised jobs and investment materialize.
Sources: communityimpact.com, localprofile.com, communityimpact.com
