Fresno developer Darius Assemi, who is known for building single-family homes, has opened a new business center for entrepreneurs and small-business owners in downtown Fresno.

Biz-Werx is in the old San Francisco Floral building at Fulton and Calaveras streets just blocks from Assemi's Fulton Village, a mixed-use residential and commercial project that opened last month.

The business center has office, studio and retail space for lease ranging from 200 to 900 square feet. Tenants share a kitchenette and conference room. There are also basement storage units for rent.

"We're hoping to tap our creative class and entrepreneurs to come to this location," Assemi said.

Biz-Werx is part of a recent trend to convert downtown buildings into business incubators to help small businesses grow without having to fork over a lot of cash for office or meeting space.

The Fresno Area Hispanic Chamber of Commerce renovated its offices on Fulton and Stanislaus streets into incubator space. The founder of Clovis-based VentureBay, OfficeBay and CargoBay also brought its business incubator concept to the former Southern Pacific Railroad Depot on Tulare Avenue.

"We know no city can be successful without a successful downtown," Assemi said.

For more information about Biz-Werx, visit www.gvurban.com.

More room for massage

Iron Bird Massage Studio has moved deeper into the heart of downtown and expanded.

After spending more than a year in the Iron Bird Lofts, the business has moved to the remodeled Virginia Hotel at 2137 Kern St. The new space is nearly four times the size of the previous 420 square feet.

It now has five private treatment rooms and has added services such as facials, nail care, waxing and body treatments like mud and seaweed wraps. The business continues its emphasis on being green, using "as many natural and organic products as we can," said owner Lisa Anderson.

The name will remain the same -- mostly. It will now be called the Iron Bird Massage Studio & Spa due to the new spa services. The business will celebrate its grand opening with an open house from 4:30 to 7 p.m. Thursday.

Anderson said she loved being at Iron Bird, but the move to Kern Street should bring in more customers.

"We needed much more foot traffic, especially around lunchtime," she said, adding that the business will offer 30-minute express treatments during lunchtime.

New chiropractor

A former Fresno State wrestler and his wife have opened a chiropractic business. Dr. Shane Seibert experienced the benefits of chiropractic care as a wrestler and decided to open Elite Chiropractic.

The business is at 1382 E. Alluvial Ave., Suite 106, near Cedar Avenue in northeast Fresno.

"We're treating anyone who wants to live a healthier life, with a slight emphasis on athletes," said Jacqui Seibert.