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Only two weeks after the Old Takoma Business Association's latest brainstorming session on how to improve the city's main street business district, another new store has announced its plan to open in a formerly vacant building.

The Washington, D.C.-based Capital City Cheesecake has tentative plans to open in the former Savory Café space at 7071 Carroll Ave. by April 3, according to Meaghan Murphy, who co-owns the company with her sister, Caitlin Murphy. A total of four new businesses have opened or signed leases to open in the Old Town and nearby 4th Street business districts since the business association's first study meeting last March. The announcement of the fourth opening — made earlier this week when the sisters signed the lease — has already received a fair share of positive feedback.

"I think that that is a great addition, and it's something that is called for in our marketing-analysis study as one of the things that our residents felt would really support the community," said Pennye Jones-Napier, the business association's president. "And on top of that, this business and the ACE Hardware store are both slated to open in April, so we'll have a brand new outlook this spring."

After discovering her knack for cheesecake recipes a few years ago, Caitlin Murphy began working with her sister, who has a business degree, to start an online cheesecake business, eventually renting space in a restaurant kitchen in Northeast, Washington. Now the sisters are ready to open a store of their own, Meaghan Murphy said.

"We wanted to find a space where we could run our cheesecake business but also that would provide us a space where we could run some community events and outreach programs, as well," she said.

Baking and cooking classes for children and adults, as well as weekend coffee and waffle menus were mentioned, but a final schedule will likely be announced closer to opening.

"We are coming to Takoma Park offering vegan cheesecakes," said Caitlin Murphy, explaining she is hoping to expand the restaurant's menu beyond desserts while also accommodating the unique tastes of her new customers. "I know there is a large population of vegans in Takoma Park, and we want to make everyone feel welcome."

The new restaurant will be welcome news to many OTBA members and local residents, not only for the promise of tasty neighborhood cheesecakes to come, but also in regards to Savory's unique location as the single business space linking the Old Town business district to the Takoma Junction up Carroll Avenue. Connectivity was listed as a major factor in the OTBA market-analysis study.

Meanwhile, in the 4th Street business district on the D.C. side of the Takoma Metro station, the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority accepted a $250,000 grant from the D.C. arts commission Thursday to have part of the station's underpass cleaned and a mural installed.

While many residents — including Takoma Park residents across the street — have praised the mural, to be painted by notable D.C. artist Sam Gilliam, others were less than pleased with WMATA's refusal to fund a complete cleaning and replacement of the underpass, which they say is filthy and detracts from the area's appeal to potential shoppers and other businesses.

"My plain-speaking mother used to say to me you don't put a clean dress on over dirty underwear, and that's the way I feel about this," said Fourth Street's Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner Sara Green when reached for comment Friday. "Just go under the underpass and you'll see how disgusting it is; it's all black and dirty, and there's pigeon droppings all over the place. The concrete is crumbling, as well."

When reached for comment Friday, WMATA spokeswoman Cathy Asato said the lights intended for the underpass will boost the area's appeal and perceptions of safety significantly. She denied WMATA has been negligent in the upkeep of the underpass, saying it has shared maintenance costs with the CSX railroad company that runs alongside the Metrorail.