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Developers present modular-home demonstration, say federal designation should limit local permitting
Summary
At a Struthers City Council meeting, developers from Morgan Oil displayed a modular home prototype, argued it could cut construction costs and said federal documents designate the project a national asset — a claim councilors hesitated to accept. Developers plan a public opening next week and said they will challenge county delays in court if necessary.
Developers behind a modular-housing demonstration told the Struthers City Council on Monday that their prefabricated units could help address the local and national housing shortage, but they also said county permitting has delayed the project despite what they described as federal backing.
"I think we have a housing crisis in United States and I thought this idea will solve the housing problem," said Mike Cassine of Morgan Oil, who introduced the team and the prototype house. Cassine said the units are designed in the U.S., assembled in China for the shells and that roughly 40% of the work is done locally. He estimated per-square-foot costs could be substantially lower than conventional builds once production scales.
Cassine read a statement presented to the county that, he said, came from a federal program called the Genesis mission. "Pursuant to the executive order in the National Housing Emergency Act of 2026, the project known as the 4M Genesis Physical Twin is hereby designated a critical national security industrial asset," the statement read in part. Developers also referenced the Defense Production Act and quoted a provision they said made local testing requirements inapplicable to the project.
Council members pressed the presenters for documentation and clarity. "Who issued it? We contact you verify," one council member asked. The transcript records skepticism from several members about the provenance and legal force of the documents Cassine cited.
"They gave us some companies to test this deal and it's the sad part about it that companies send them back to China to be tested because they can't test it here," Cassine said, explaining why some foreign tests were necessary. Realtor Jeremy Hearn, who identified himself at the meeting, supported the builders' assertion that the modular units are engineered to conventional residential standards and said bankers should be able to finance them like stick-built homes.
Councilors raised concerns about how a much-lower construction cost could affect neighborhood appraisals and local labor markets. One council member said a sudden influx of lower-cost units could "depreciate housing values," while presenters and other supporters said local builders could use the product to re-enter the market.
Presenters described multiple floor plans and technical specifications — R49 ceilings, R21 walls, metal framing and large-format windows — and said the first units would be produced at a planned manufacturing site in Lordstown. They also said they will open the demonstration unit next Wednesday, regardless of county approval, and that they are prepared to pay fines and pursue legal remedies if the county restricts the display.
The council did not take formal action on the developers' request during the meeting; members asked for documentation and agreed to continue oversight and follow-up with county officials. Cassine and partners said they will bring their documentation to county and federal offices and invited councilors and residents to view the prototype.
The presentation combined technical detail about the homes with claims of federal support that council members said they would verify before acting. The next procedural step is additional review and, if the developers proceed, potential coordination between city staff and Mahoning County building officials.
