React-Firebase to Node MySQL

I’m ready to retire Firebase and stand up a classic Node.js + MySQL stack behind my existing React front-end. The goal is a like-for-like migration: all calls that currently hit Firebase should instead be served by a new RESTful API built with Express, with data stored in MySQL.

Database
I already have part of a MySQL schema in production, but several collections live only in Firebase. You’ll need to merge the two worlds—re-use what exists where it makes sense and design fresh tables when the Firebase structure doesn’t map cleanly. I’ll provide the current schema dump and access to the Firebase JSON export so you can plan the mapping.

Authentication
User sign-in must move from Firebase Auth to Passport.js running on Node.js. Standard email/password flow is enough for launch; make sure JWT sessions work smoothly with the React client and protect existing route guards.

Deliverables (must-haves)
• Express-based API (CRUD parity with the Firebase functions I’ll share)
• MySQL models and migration scripts reflecting the blended schema
• Passport.js local strategy with JWT issuance and verification middleware
• A short migration guide so I can seed the new database and switch environments without downtime
• Updated React service layer (Axios or fetch) pointing to the new endpoints

I’ll spin up a fresh VPS and give you SSH, plus a test database. Code needs to be clean, well-commented, and pushed to a GitHub repo with commits that mirror the milestones above.