AT&T Inc. plans to invest $100 million in the redevelopment of the four-block area around its headquarters building in downtown Dallas.

Dubbed the AT&T Discovery District, the area will include restaurants, retail, outdoor event space and free Wi-Fi, D CEO reported.

The area will serve as a destination spot downtown to help AT&T attract top talent, and to serve the downtown community, the magazine said.

AT&T wants to do some street changes that will make the district more walkable. It has presented plans to the City Planning Commission, and hopes for approval by the end of February.

“We decided if we could work out a place with the city of Dallas, we would prefer to remain at our present location.”
Mike Patterson

Rather than relocate the company, AT&T officials hope to work out a deal with the city that will allow it to stay in its current location in several buildings.

“Last year, AT&T looks at several locations inside and outside [of Dallas,” Mike Patterson, regional vice president of AT&T Texas External Affairs, said. “We decided if we could work out a place with the city of Dallas, we would prefer to remain at our present location.”

AT&T relocated to downtown Dallas in 2008 and has doubled its workforce there to 5,800 employees, and spending $5 billion a year on Dallas-based vendors, the magazine said.

The company plans to hire 500 more people over the new couple years, D CEO said.

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