iOS build failed using Legacy build paramater Ionic 3

First time trying to build Ionic app on apple in probably a year.
Was using the command line to use the Legacy Build flag(?). Getting an error that it wants to start some emulator. I just want it to build code.

here is the error.

[10:01:54]  build dev finished in 14.96 s 
> cordova build ios --buildFlag=-UseModernBuildSystem=0
[10:01:57]  lint finished in 3.16 s 
cordova-plugin-firebasex: Preparing Firebase on iOS
No simulator found for ". Falling back to the default target.

Building for "iPhone SE (3rd generation)" Simulator (com.apple.CoreSimulator.SimDeviceType.iPhone-SE-3rd-generation, iPhone-SE-3rd-generation).
CordovaError: Promise rejected with non-error: No Xcode project found in /Users/Bob/work/iosRelease/gfmobileapps/node_modules/cordova-ios/bin/templates/scripts
    at /Users/bob/work/iosRelease/-mobileapps/node_modules/cordova/bin/cordova:30:15
    at processTicksAndRejections (internal/process/task_queues.js:97:5)
[ERROR] An error occurred while running cordova build ios 
        --buildFlag=-UseModernBuildSystem=0 (exit code 1).```

I opened up Xcode and change it to Legacy in there, no difference.