Molly’s Burgers, a fixture on Vine Street at the corner of Selma Avenue, will be donating all proceeds from sales on Thursday, June 30 to homeless programs provided by Blessed Sacrament Social Service in Hollywood.

Molly's burgers on Vine Street will be closing to make way for an office building. (photo by Edwin Folven)

Thursday will be the final day of operation for Molly’s, which is closing as part of a deal with the Community Redevelopment Agency of Los Angeles (CRA/LA), which has purchased the property and is planning to have an office building constructed at the site. The hamburger stand was originally called “Mom’s” and was part of a former gas station that was built at the site in 1929. The stand has been upgraded many times over the years, however, and Molly’s is now surrounded by a parking lot that will also be used for the new building.

John Ladner, a board member of Gettlove, the organization that runs Blessed Sacrament Social Services, said the donation of proceeds will provide a boost for homeless services in Hollywood. Blessed Sacrament Social Services operates a facility near Shrader Boulevard and Selma Avenue, and provides meals, clothing and other services to 125 to 150 people daily.

“We are happy and delighted to have this benefit from Molly’s, and it will make a difference,” Ladner said. “They wanted to do something for the community, particularly with the homeless, and were happy to be the recipients.”

Attempts to reach the owners of Molly’s were unsuccessful, but according to Ladner, the burger stand has been owned by the Yi family for the past 13 years. Kerry Morrison, executive director of the Hollywood Entertainment District and the Hollywood Property Owners Alliance, said she had been contacted by the CRA/LA to help identify a good recipient for the donation, and she suggested Blessed Sacrament. Morrison added that she has worked with Ladner and Blessed Sacrament in the Hollywood 4WRD program, which is working to identify the most vulnerable homeless people in Hollywood and find them housing and other services.

Jim Dantona, chief deputy to the CEO for the CRA/LA, said the project at the Molly’s Burger’s site has been in the works for five years. The CRA/LA has only recently been able to move forward with the development after a settlement was reached between the CRA/LA and the owners of Molly’s, who had filed a lawsuit over fees they wanted for relocation. Dantona said the details of the settlement have not been made public, and he would not provide any further details. He added that the CRA/LA purchased the property in 2006 for $5.6 million, and last year sold it to the developer, 1601 Vine LLC, for $800,000. The CRA/LA seeks to rehabilitate blighted areas, which will be accomplished when the new office building is built, Dantona said. The selling price was much lower because the developer will be paying for the construction of the eight-story building.

Dantona added that an office building was considered desirable for the site because there has not been any new private office space constructed in Hollywood for more than a decade. He added that the developer is currently in the process of securing financing for the new building and obtaining the necessary city permits. He expects the project to begin sometime next year, and the CRA/LA will take steps to secure the property in the meantime.

Molly’s Burgers is located at 1605 Vine St., and will be offering burger combos with fries for $3 on June 30 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. For information, call (323)462-8005.