diff --git a/app/controllers/api/sushi_controller.rb b/app/controllers/api/sushi_controller.rb
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..25a9f3fba
--- /dev/null
+++ b/app/controllers/api/sushi_controller.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,51 @@
+# frozen_string_literal: true
+
+# maybe rename to counter_metrics_controller?
+module API
+  class SushiController < ApplicationController
+    # needs to include the following filters: begin & end date, item ID
+    def item_report
+      if params[:item_id]
+        # example of the URL with an item_id
+        # /api/sushi/r51/reports/ir?item_id=7fdf12a0-b8da-46c6-88dc-64dbb5bc31d7
+        # work_id = params[:item_id]
+        # work = ActiveFedora::Base.find(work_id)
+        # here we would return the JSON that only includes the specific work
+        render json: { "item_report" => 'hello single item report' }
+      else
+        # here we would return the JSON that includes all works in the Item Report
+        render json: { "item_report" => 'hello all items report' }
+      end
+    end
+
+    def platform_report
+      # Logic to retrieve platform report
+      render json: { "platform_report" => 'hi' }
+    end
+
+    def platform_usage_report
+      # Logic to retrieve platform usage report
+      render json: { "platform_usage_report" => 'message' }
+    end
+
+    def status
+      render json: { "status" => "ok" }
+    end
+
+    def members
+      # Logic to retrieve members data
+      render json: { "members" => 'message' }
+    end
+
+    def list_reports
+      # Logic to retrieve and list available reports
+      render json: { "reports" => 'message' }
+    end
+
+    private
+
+      def sushi_params
+        params.permit(:item_id, :report_id)
+      end
+  end
+end
diff --git a/config/application.rb b/config/application.rb
index 59c9cb1c4..99d7709a6 100644
--- a/config/application.rb
+++ b/config/application.rb
@@ -77,5 +77,7 @@ class Application < Rails::Application
         config.active_record.yaml_column_permitted_classes = [Symbol, Hash, Array, ActiveSupport::HashWithIndifferentAccess, ActiveModel::Attribute.const_get(:FromDatabase), User, Time]
       end
     end
+
+    config.autoload_paths << "#{Rails.root}/app/controllers/api"
   end
 end
diff --git a/config/routes.rb b/config/routes.rb
index f023183f6..c22586c95 100644
--- a/config/routes.rb
+++ b/config/routes.rb
@@ -36,6 +36,21 @@
     end
   end
 
+
+  # routes for the  api
+  namespace :api, defaults: { format: :json } do
+    resource :sushi do
+      collection do
+        get 'r51/status', to: 'sushi#status'
+        get 'r51/members', to: 'sushi#members'
+        get 'r51/reports', to: 'sushi#list_reports'
+        get 'r51/reports/pr', to: 'sushi#platform_report'
+        get 'r51/reports/pr_p1', to: 'sushi#platform_usage_report'
+        get 'r51/reports/ir', to: 'sushi#item_report'
+      end
+    end
+  end
+
   get 'status', to: 'status#index'
 
   mount BrowseEverything::Engine => '/browse'
@@ -46,6 +61,7 @@
 
   root 'hyrax/homepage#index'
 
+
   devise_for :users, controllers: { invitations: 'hyku/invitations', registrations: 'hyku/registrations' }
   mount Qa::Engine => '/authorities'
 
diff --git a/spec/requests/sushi_spec.rb b/spec/requests/sushi_spec.rb
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..f9d1cb764
--- /dev/null
+++ b/spec/requests/sushi_spec.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,55 @@
+# frozen_string_literal: true
+
+RSpec.describe 'api/sushi/r51', type: :request, singletenant: true do
+  describe 'GET /api/sushi/r51/reports/ir' do
+    it 'returns a 200 with correct response for item report' do
+      get '/api/sushi/r51/reports/ir'
+      expect(response).to have_http_status(200)
+      parsed_body = JSON.parse(response.body)
+      expect(parsed_body['item_report']).to eq 'hello all items report'
+    end
+
+    it 'returns a 200 with correct response for an specific work item report' do
+      work = create(:work)
+      get '/api/sushi/r51/reports/ir?item_id=' + work.id
+      expect(response).to have_http_status(200)
+      parsed_body = JSON.parse(response.body)
+      expect(parsed_body['item_report']).to eq 'hello single item report'
+    end
+
+    it 'returns a 200 with correct response for the platform report' do
+      get '/api/sushi/r51/reports/pr'
+      expect(response).to have_http_status(200)
+      parsed_body = JSON.parse(response.body)
+      expect(parsed_body['platform_report']).to eq 'hi'
+    end
+
+    it 'returns a 200 with correct response for the platform usage report' do
+      get '/api/sushi/r51/reports/pr_p1'
+      expect(response).to have_http_status(200)
+      parsed_body = JSON.parse(response.body)
+      expect(parsed_body['platform_usage_report']).to eq 'message'
+    end
+
+    it 'returns a 200 with correct response for the status' do
+      get '/api/sushi/r51/status'
+      expect(response).to have_http_status(200)
+      parsed_body = JSON.parse(response.body)
+      expect(parsed_body['status']).to eq 'ok'
+    end
+
+    it 'returns a 200 with correct response for the members' do
+      get '/api/sushi/r51/members'
+      expect(response).to have_http_status(200)
+      parsed_body = JSON.parse(response.body)
+      expect(parsed_body['members']).to eq 'message'
+    end
+
+    it 'returns a 200 with correct response for the reports list' do
+      get '/api/sushi/r51/reports'
+      expect(response).to have_http_status(200)
+      parsed_body = JSON.parse(response.body)
+      expect(parsed_body['reports']).to eq 'message'
+    end
+  end
+end