savings compared to the Clay–Market route. The Oregon chapter of the American Institute of Architects and several industry groups recommended a delay in deciding the route based on potential damage to the cityscape caused by the designs in both options. By late May, a total of 389 households and 37 businesses had been relocated in anticipation of the freeway project, while 47 buildings had been demolished. The state highway commission hosted a public hearing in June 1960 to hear testimony from 300 people at Portland's Public Auditorium. The commission adopted the Foothills route and 15th–16th elevated freeway for I-405 on July 8, which would cost an estimated $75.7 million to construct (equivalent to $ in dollars). The Portland City Council then voted on July 14 to approve the general route endorsed by the state highway commission. Property acquisition and Foothills construction The state government began negotiations to acquire property along the Stadium Freeway's future right of way in October 1960, later requesting federal funds to aid the city government with relocating an estimated 1,100 households affected by planned demolitions. An estimated 554 buildings with 1,668 residential units were in the right of way for the freeway, including a school, several churches, and a recently completed synagogue for Congregation Shaarie Torah. In 1963, the owner of the Carlton Hotel, a long-term care home with 139 elderly residents, appealed the condemnation and planned demolition of the building to make way for the Stadium Freeway. The state government agreed to assist in relocating the residents to a new building, but its lack of a fire sprinkler system mandated for recipients of state welfare forced the eviction of 80 residents from the Carlton Hotel. Further planning work was delayed by a dispute with the city government and Bureau of Public Roads over the location of ramps and interchanges in early 1961, which were resolved with formal federal approval in August. The state highway commission approved the designation of Highway No. 61 for the Stadium Freeway on December 8, 1961. In February 1962, the Portland City Council postponed its decisions on closing streets for freeway construction and ratification of an agreement with the state highway commission on maintenance of ramps and overpasses after protests from local residents, who described I-405 as a "gigantic monstrosity" and the "West Side Suicide". The state highway commission halted its property acquisition negotiations the following month while awaiting the city