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Express Ranches says it will not sell its Yukon acreage to firms building data centers, even as the family begins dispersing much of its cattle herd — a decision that adds momentum to an ongoing local debate over data center growth, electricity and water use. The stance matters now because municipalities across Oklahoma are weighing potential tax revenue against community concerns over utilities and land use.
The Funk family, owners of the sprawling operation, confirmed this week that multiple tech-industry groups approached the property seeking to buy land in Canadian County. The family’s message was clear: the ranch is not on the market to data center developers and no negotiations have been opened with those groups.
Why the decision matters
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Municipalities frequently court data centers for large upfront investments and recurring franchise tax receipts. But the projects can demand far more power and water than surrounding neighborhoods are used to, prompting vocal public resistance and, in some cases, political fallout.
Yukon provides a recent example. City leaders pivoted from an amphitheater plan in 2025 to supporting a proposed data center campus on roughly 184.5 acres at Highway 66 and North Frisco Road — a site the city later sold to BLE Landholdings for $16 million. Officials touted potential franchise tax gains estimated in the millions annually, but residents pushed back once they learned about projected energy usage and water needs.
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Ranch size | 6,000 acres in Yukon (2202 N 11th St.) |
| Ownership | Funk family / Funk estate |
| Cattle dispersal | More than 2,400 head scheduled for auction early October; additional sales planned |
| Local land sale (2025) | 184.5 acres sold to BLE Landholdings for $16 million; proposed 0.5-gigawatt campus |
Residents in Yukon raised alarms after learning the proposed campus could draw roughly 10–15 times the electricity the city historically used, according to public reaction at the time. Concerns about where that power and the cooling water would come from led to protests, intense public debate and a recall petition targeting the mayor and vice mayor.
What Express Ranches is doing now
Following the death of Bob Funk Sr. in July 2025, the Funk estate has continued to operate the property. Company statements emphasize the family’s focus on managing and reducing its livestock holdings rather than negotiating land sales.
In a follow-up response to media inquiries, the ranch said the family “cares deeply about the people and well‑being of Canadian County” and is concentrating resources on the controlled dispersal of cattle assets rather than pursuing commercial land deals at this time.
That position removes one potential parcel from the list of sites developers are targeting in the region, at least temporarily. But the broader dynamic — local governments balancing tax and infrastructure incentives against long-term utility and environmental trade-offs — remains unresolved in Yukon and other communities nationwide.
- Immediate effect: Developers lose access to a large, centrally located property in Yukon for now.
- Community stakes: Electric grid capacity, water supply and municipal planning are central concerns.
- Political consequences: Data center proposals can reshape local politics, as seen with petitions and leadership scrutiny in Yukon.
As Express Ranches proceeds with livestock sales this fall, local officials and residents will continue to watch how decisions about land use and utility commitments play out — decisions that carry financial, environmental and political implications beyond a single farm or city.
