Post-Dispatch Front Page: Our Panelized Homes in North St. Louis
Module Building Systems
The St. Louis Post-Dispatch put our work in The Ville on its front page on Nov. 9, 2026, as the paper's top story. Steph Kukuljan's story follows the city's new approach to rebuilding North City, and it starts with the panelized homes in North St. Louis that Module Building Systems (MBS) is building with the City of St. Louis.
The first home stands on a lot that was empty grass this fall. The paper describes it as a three-bedroom, two-bathroom house of about 1,700 square feet. We told the paper why we came here: "We saw the need, the opportunity and a city willing to work with us."
What did the Post-Dispatch report?
The Post-Dispatch reports that the St. Louis Development Corporation (SLDC), the city's economic development arm, is backing a pilot to test whether panelized housing can help address the region's housing crisis. SLDC donated the land. The paper reports the pilot is funded with American Rescue Plan Act dollars and New Markets Tax Credits. Our Greater Ville infill contract with the city is $3.23 million, and the project carries $4 million in New Markets Tax Credits.
The pilot is part of a wider plan. Instead of scattering single houses across many blocks, the city wants to concentrate new homes in targeted parts of North City. SLDC's construction and facilities manager told the paper that a cluster of new homes builds a nucleus that does more for a neighborhood than scattered houses can.
Other builders are part of the same push, including Habitat for Humanity Saint Louis in Vandeventer, Northside Community Housing in Jeff-Vander-Lou, CF Vatterott in the West End and Tabernacle Community Development Corp., which has built and rehabbed homes on the North Side for a decade.
The story is honest about the hard parts too. Housing markets on the North Side change block by block, and lenders and buyers have to be convinced. That is why we wrote a plain guide to panelized home financing.
What makes these homes different?
These homes are panelized, not modular. The paper uses the word modular, but nothing arrives as a box. Our 40,000 sq ft plant in North St. Louis cuts and frames wall, floor and roof panels on a CNC line, and they ship flat on standard trucks. The finished house is conventional wood framing, built to the city's code and inspected like any house framed on the lot.
Panelized construction is a way of building where wall, floor and roof panels are framed in a factory, shipped flat to the lot and set on the foundation.
The paper also notes the mineral wool insulation in our walls and the cladding choices, from fiber cement to brick that matches the block. At MBS, the agreed package defines factory completion. We supply framing subcomponents, bare framed panels and sheathed panels. More complete assemblies may include windows, doors, cladding, insulation or MEP rough-ins when specified.
On the lot, the panels go up fast. Panelized projects can deliver up to 50% faster construction schedules compared with traditional construction. Actual schedules depend on project scope, approvals, site readiness, materials and logistics. Our Hoodline post shows this home going up, date by date, in our own photos.
The first home is The Malone from our design catalog.
Who are the new homes for?
SLDC told the Post-Dispatch the goal is to sell the homes to households earning 80% of the area's median income or less, under $72,650 for a two-person household. Prices are not set yet.
One neighbor put it simply. Pastor Barbara Melton of Great Day Missionary Baptist Church, two blocks from the site, told the paper: "I'm glad that they're building."
What comes next for the North City pilot?
If the pilot works, SLDC hopes to build more panelized homes, the paper reports. More homes in production also brings the cost of each one down. We build in St. Louis and plan to keep our base here as we grow.
Our standard delivery range is 1,000 miles from St. Louis, and we ship anywhere in America based on project size and project pro forma. The Post-Dispatch first covered this pilot in its Brick City newsletter in December 2025, after the city approved our work on city land.
About Module Building Systems
Module Building Systems (MBS) is a panelized offsite construction company founded in 2023 and based at 921 N 20th Street in St. Louis, Missouri. We build wall, floor and roof panel packages in a 40,000 sq ft CNC manufacturing facility and ship them flat-packed within 1,000 miles. Projects run up to 30% lower in cost and up to 50% faster, with up to 90% less waste. Actual schedules depend on project scope, approvals, site readiness, materials and logistics. Learn more about MBS.
Frequently asked questions
Is the new home in The Ville modular?
No. It is panelized. Wall, floor and roof panels are framed in our St. Louis plant, shipped flat, then set on the foundation and connected on site. The result is a conventional wood-framed house built to the city's adopted code, with no box, no chassis and no HUD label.
Who is building new homes in The Ville?
MBS is building homes in The Ville with the City of St. Louis through the Greater Ville infill program, with SLDC as the city's partner. Other groups, including Habitat for Humanity Saint Louis, Northside Community Housing and Tabernacle CDC, are building in nearby North City neighborhoods as part of the same push to concentrate investment in North City.
Where can I read the Post-Dispatch story?
"St. Louis and developers test a new approach to rebuild North City," by Steph Kukuljan, ran on the front page of the Post-Dispatch on Nov. 9, 2026, as the paper's top story. It is on stltoday.com. Our earlier posts cover the Brick City newsletter item from December 2025 and Hoodline's report on the first home going up in The Ville.
Can I see how the panels are built?
Yes. We run factory tours Monday to Friday at 921 N 20th Street in St. Louis. A tour takes about 60 minutes: about half on the plant floor along the CNC line and half talking through your project. Book a time on our factory tour page.
See the plant behind these homes
Book a factory tour to see the line that builds these panels, get an estimate for your own project, or email info@modulebs.com.
The St. Louis Post-Dispatch put our work in The Ville on its front page on Nov. 9, 2026, as the paper's top story. Steph Kukuljan's story follows the city's new approach to rebuilding North City, and it starts with the panelized homes in North St. Louis that Module Building Systems (MBS) is building with the City of St. Louis.
The first home stands on a lot that was empty grass this fall. The paper describes it as a three-bedroom, two-bathroom house of about 1,700 square feet. We told the paper why we came here: "We saw the need, the opportunity and a city willing to work with us."
What did the Post-Dispatch report?
The Post-Dispatch reports that the St. Louis Development Corporation (SLDC), the city's economic development arm, is backing a pilot to test whether panelized housing can help address the region's housing crisis. SLDC donated the land. The paper reports the pilot is funded with American Rescue Plan Act dollars and New Markets Tax Credits. Our Greater Ville infill contract with the city is $3.23 million, and the project carries $4 million in New Markets Tax Credits.
The pilot is part of a wider plan. Instead of scattering single houses across many blocks, the city wants to concentrate new homes in targeted parts of North City. SLDC's construction and facilities manager told the paper that a cluster of new homes builds a nucleus that does more for a neighborhood than scattered houses can.
Other builders are part of the same push, including Habitat for Humanity Saint Louis in Vandeventer, Northside Community Housing in Jeff-Vander-Lou, CF Vatterott in the West End and Tabernacle Community Development Corp., which has built and rehabbed homes on the North Side for a decade.
The story is honest about the hard parts too. Housing markets on the North Side change block by block, and lenders and buyers have to be convinced. That is why we wrote a plain guide to panelized home financing.
What makes these homes different?
These homes are panelized, not modular. The paper uses the word modular, but nothing arrives as a box. Our 40,000 sq ft plant in North St. Louis cuts and frames wall, floor and roof panels on a CNC line, and they ship flat on standard trucks. The finished house is conventional wood framing, built to the city's code and inspected like any house framed on the lot.
Panelized construction is a way of building where wall, floor and roof panels are framed in a factory, shipped flat to the lot and set on the foundation.
The paper also notes the mineral wool insulation in our walls and the cladding choices, from fiber cement to brick that matches the block. At MBS, the agreed package defines factory completion. We supply framing subcomponents, bare framed panels and sheathed panels. More complete assemblies may include windows, doors, cladding, insulation or MEP rough-ins when specified.
On the lot, the panels go up fast. Panelized projects can deliver up to 50% faster construction schedules compared with traditional construction. Actual schedules depend on project scope, approvals, site readiness, materials and logistics. Our Hoodline post shows this home going up, date by date, in our own photos.
The first home is The Malone from our design catalog.
Who are the new homes for?
SLDC told the Post-Dispatch the goal is to sell the homes to households earning 80% of the area's median income or less, under $72,650 for a two-person household. Prices are not set yet.
One neighbor put it simply. Pastor Barbara Melton of Great Day Missionary Baptist Church, two blocks from the site, told the paper: "I'm glad that they're building."
What comes next for the North City pilot?
If the pilot works, SLDC hopes to build more panelized homes, the paper reports. More homes in production also brings the cost of each one down. We build in St. Louis and plan to keep our base here as we grow.
Our standard delivery range is 1,000 miles from St. Louis, and we ship anywhere in America based on project size and project pro forma. The Post-Dispatch first covered this pilot in its Brick City newsletter in December 2025, after the city approved our work on city land.
About Module Building Systems
Module Building Systems (MBS) is a panelized offsite construction company founded in 2023 and based at 921 N 20th Street in St. Louis, Missouri. We build wall, floor and roof panel packages in a 40,000 sq ft CNC manufacturing facility and ship them flat-packed within 1,000 miles. Projects run up to 30% lower in cost and up to 50% faster, with up to 90% less waste. Actual schedules depend on project scope, approvals, site readiness, materials and logistics. Learn more about MBS.
Frequently asked questions
Is the new home in The Ville modular?
No. It is panelized. Wall, floor and roof panels are framed in our St. Louis plant, shipped flat, then set on the foundation and connected on site. The result is a conventional wood-framed house built to the city's adopted code, with no box, no chassis and no HUD label.
Who is building new homes in The Ville?
MBS is building homes in The Ville with the City of St. Louis through the Greater Ville infill program, with SLDC as the city's partner. Other groups, including Habitat for Humanity Saint Louis, Northside Community Housing and Tabernacle CDC, are building in nearby North City neighborhoods as part of the same push to concentrate investment in North City.
Where can I read the Post-Dispatch story?
"St. Louis and developers test a new approach to rebuild North City," by Steph Kukuljan, ran on the front page of the Post-Dispatch on Nov. 9, 2026, as the paper's top story. It is on stltoday.com. Our earlier posts cover the Brick City newsletter item from December 2025 and Hoodline's report on the first home going up in The Ville.
Can I see how the panels are built?
Yes. We run factory tours Monday to Friday at 921 N 20th Street in St. Louis. A tour takes about 60 minutes: about half on the plant floor along the CNC line and half talking through your project. Book a time on our factory tour page.
See the plant behind these homes
Book a factory tour to see the line that builds these panels, get an estimate for your own project, or email info@modulebs.com.