Massage school plans to take over Iris Avenue office space

BOULDER —  Boulder Massage Therapy Institute LLC intends to set up shop in an office building at 3825 Iris Ave.

The company will establish “a specialized instruction facility for a massage therapy school and clinic” in the Iris Avenue office park, which currently houses law offices, land surveyors and a chiropractor, according to Boulder planning documents.

In a memo to city planners, representatives with the Boulder Massage Therapy Institute said the facility “trains individuals in massage therapy in a 10-month, part-time, 625-hour program, with an instructional component taking place every other weekend. The clinical component involves giving massages to community members for a reduced rate of $42 for a 55 minute massage to cover minimal costs of Boulder Massage Therapy Institute.”

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Unlike most professional service tenants in office parks, the institute expects to open until 10 p.m. on weekdays.

“A lot of students work full-time. We like to have options for them to do their (training hours with clients) in the evening,” Boulder Massage Therapy Institute director Melinda Besse said. “For people with different working hours, we offer daytime shifts as well.”

Members of Boulder’s Planning Board unanimously sign off on a use review for the site this week. 

“This one is slam dunk for me. This kind of specialized instruction facility is allowed in this zone,” Planning Board member Laura Kaplan said. “…I don’t see it having any negative impacts” to nearby businesses or neighborhoods.