This month, the Board of Cuy-ahoga County Commissioners awarded a $275,000 contract to the environmental planning and architectural firm Schmidt Copeland Parker Stevens Inc. of Cleveland to examine the sustainability potential of the Cuyahoga River and surrounding area - from supplying oxygen to the fish that swim in the river to the physical resources that could draw new companies.

Five other firms that are subcontractors of Schmidt Copeland make up the rest of the project team. They are Andropogon Associates of Philadelphia; Duany Plater-Zyberk & Co. of Miami.; Akron-based Environmental Design Group; eQuest Inc. of Cleveland; and HRG Consultants Inc. of Bethesda, Md. The project is spearheaded by the Cuyahoga County Planning Commission.

The eight-month project will consider the valley's historical background and ecological future, plus a philosophy of sustainability - the ability for natural or cultural systems to maintain themselves over time. June 2002 is the targeted completion date.

Paul Alsenas, Cuyahoga County's planning director, said the sustainability philosophy is critical to the river's future and the future of the communities it traverses.

"This is not a land use planning exercise," Mr. Alsenas said. "This project is taking all of the resources in the valley from Lake Erie to the Cuyahoga Valley National Park and addressing them in a way that is going to (spur) reinvestment and growth."

Mr. Alsenas said the most identifiable asset of the valley is the 34 square miles of land it encompasses, including prime waterfront property. Reclaiming such waterfront property in the Cleveland area seems to be on the minds of many.

He pointed to a proposal that the Greater Cleveland Growth Association drafted earlier this year to move a section of the Shoreway. The expensive venture would free up 350 prime acres near Lake Erie. Likewise, Mr. Alsenas said there are thousands of existing acres of developed land and greenspace along the 17-mile-long Cuyahoga River that will accommodate a host of uses or reuses.

One goal of the project is to lay the groundwork for a consistent zoning model for all 12 separate municipalities located in the valley. Planners hope to establish standards to address such issues as storm water run-off, wetland restoration, landfill reclamation and flood plain management.

Furthermore, the team will examine the natural attributes of the river and the effect it has on the valley's economy. For instance, Mr. Alsenas said analysis of the river could determine ways to reduce the need for routine dredging, thus lowering the expenses of companies that rely on boats and barge traffic to move supplies and products up and down the waterway.

The team also will look at such issues as transportation routes and infrastructure.

Cuyahoga County will provide data management support for the project. Besides the county and valley municipalities, several nonprofit groups and the city of Cleveland are collaborating on the project.

Lisa Hong, vice president of eQuest, an ecological engineering firm, said she's excited about the project's potential and the opportunity for her company to participate. Residual benefits will stay long after representatives from the visiting companies leave the valley because of the expertise that will be shared with local companies such as eQuest, she said.