O’Brien & Gere was retained by the Pyramid Companies to provide planning, permitting, design, and construction services for the unique site work associated with the Carousel Center, a 1,600,000 ft², 5-story shopping mall which houses over 200 retail outlets, food court with multiple food preparation areas, convention and conference center, and observation deck overlooking the City of Syracuse.

In conjunction with the Carousel Center project, O'Brien & Gere assisted in preparing a Justification and Design Report, and then preparation of Final Construction Drawings for the first break-in-access along an Interstate Highway in Central New York by a private entity. The I-81 Southbound Frontage Road included the construction of approximately 5000± ft of Interstate Highway Frontage Road adjacent to existing Interstate-81 in the City of Syracuse and provides a direct connection from existing I-81 to the Carousel Center.

The project was designed in close coordination with the New York State Department of Transportation and required multi-jurisdictional approvals, including the New York State Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration, City of Syracuse and the Onondaga County Water Authority. Design was completed in accordance with New York State Department of Transportation Standards.

Completed in 1995, the project was designed to relieve congestion around the Center and includes provisions for future widening of the Frontage Road as the redevelopment of this once industrialized section of the City of Syracuse continues.