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The Plano City Council has unanimously voted to approve the construction of two monuments dedicated to the late Ross Perot Sr., the billionaire businessman and former presidential candidate whose developments played a pivotal role in the city’s economic history. The monuments will be erected at the Legacy Pedestrian Bridge, which spans the Dallas North Tollway, a location central to the business district Perot envisioned decades ago.
According to city documents, the project involves the installation of two obelisk-style structures, one on each side of the bridge. Each monument will feature a stone exterior adorned with bronze plaques and will be topped by a bronze eagle sculpture. The Perot family is donating the bronze elements, while the City of Plano has awarded a contract of approximately $580,000 to Concord Commercial Services for the construction and installation. City officials expect the project to be completed by late spring.
The initiative began as a community request to honor Perot’s legacy and gained the support of city leadership. Plano Mayor John Muns stated that Perot’s influence was instrumental in transforming Plano from a rural community into a global business hub. “His vision, leadership, and belief in this community transformed a once rural area into a globally recognized center for business and innovation,” Muns said in a statement following the vote.
While the use of public funds for monuments can occasionally draw scrutiny regarding fiscal prioritization or land use, the motion passed the City Council without dissenting votes. The project’s collaborative funding structure, utilizing both city funds and private donations from the Perot family, appears to have mitigated potential financial objections. The design, focused on the “Legacy” branding and American iconography (the eagle), aligns with the existing aesthetic of the business park.
Ross Perot Sr., who passed away in 2019 at the age of 89, is best known nationally for his independent presidential campaigns in 1992 and 1996. However, in North Texas, his impact is largely defined by his real estate and business ventures. In the 1980s, Perot purchased thousands of acres of open land in Plano to house the headquarters of his company, Electronic Data Systems (EDS). This move is widely credited with shifting the center of gravity for the region’s corporate growth northward, eventually attracting major corporations such as J.C. Penney, Frito-Lay, and Toyota to the Legacy business park.
