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AT&T Breaks Ground on $1B Plano Campus, Unveils 54-Acre Headquarters Plan
AT&T has begun construction on its new $1 billion, 54-acre headquarters in Plano, a seven-building campus with a 250-foot cell tower and 37 miles of fiber that will eventually house about 10,000 employees.
PLANO â AT&T formally broke ground Thursday on its new $1 billion corporate headquarters, unveiling a scale model of a 54-acre campus near Legacy Drive and Parkwood Boulevard that will reshape a high-profile stretch of the North Texas tollway corridor.
The telecommunications giant said the development will include seven main buildings, green space and expanded employee amenities, along with roughly 37 miles of fiber optic connectivity woven through the site. A 250-foot communications tower topped with the company's blue logo will anchor the campus.
Ahead of the ceremony, AT&T floated a single blue balloon above the site to illustrate the tower's height and location. CEO John Stankey said the structure is meant to be both functional and symbolic.
"It's the visual manifestation of our network," Stankey said. "It's a part of the network that will actually connect our employees effectively on this campus."
He added that the tower will serve as a landmark for anyone traveling the tollway or living nearby. "They will see and know we're part of this community," he said.
Employees helped install the first fiber optic connection at the site, an early construction milestone. Company officials said the completed campus will accommodate approximately 10,000 employees once the relocation is finished.
AT&T announced in January that it would move its headquarters from downtown Dallas to Plano. The company had relocated its headquarters to North Texas from San Antonio in 2008. It selected the former Electronic Data Systems headquarters site for the new campus; the previous building was imploded in August to clear the way for construction.
Plano Mayor John Muns said the project marks a significant moment for the city and its relationship with the Fortune 50 company.
"Just to see the site plan and the model, and what it's going to become, in a very short period of time is so exciting," Muns said. "We truly want this to be one of the greatest hallmarks of our city."
AT&T expects the first buildings to be ready for employees in 2028, with additional campus development continuing into 2029.
The move deepens the company's footprint in Collin County and adds another major corporate campus to a region already grappling with rapid growth, housing pressure and transportation strain. For Plano, the project promises thousands of daily workers and a long-term tax base; for the broader region, it raises familiar questions about how fast-growing employment centers are planned and connected.