Roof work at Starbuck Avenue business incubator now completed

For the first time in 15 years, the Watertown Center for Business and Industry does not have any major leaking roof problems.

Site manager William J. Soluri told members of the Watertown Industrial Center Local Development Corp. on Tuesday that major roof improvements have been completed and that his staff just needs to focus on general maintenance of the small business incubator off Starbuck Avenue.

“Everything is great,” he said.

The center expects to receive an $83,513.99 check from its insurance carrier in the next week to pay for roof damage caused by high winds last April. It also will be getting a $250,000 Empire State Development Corp. grant to go toward some other roof work that has occurred over the years.

Roof projects for buildings A and B were completed last year. The board spent a total of about $1.5 million on the roof replacements that fixed persistent leaks.

Some smaller leaks still exist in buildings C and D but are not major problems, Mr. Soluri said.

In other action, the board learned that Junction Boyz Inc., a company that installs car audio equipment and does custom body work and paint jobs, still owes the center $80,000 in back rent and utilities.

Company officials told Mr. Soluri that a slow winter was to blame for the back rent. On Tuesday, the board instructed Mr. Soluri to talk to the company’s owners to see what was happening.

Since early last year, the company had been working on getting back on track for the back rent, but those promised payments were not received in January and December, Mr. Soluri said.