Cr David Benson-Pope has criticised Christchurch developer Luke Dirkzwager's inaction in redeveloping the buildings, which have been empty since about 2009.
They have become badly degraded.
Plants are growing in rotted carpet, floors have caved in and the stench of decay is perceptible from outside their locked doors.
Mr Dirkzwager said on Sunday he would talk about the issue yesterday, but did not return calls.
In 2008, Mr Dirkzwager proposed demolishing the buildings and replacing them with a five-storey building with 15 apartments and retail space on the ground floor.
The move was opposed during resource consent hearings but in 2014 he won Environment Court approval to demolish them, as long as he retained three of the buildings' four historic facades.
His resource consent is valid until 2021.
Otago Property Investors Association president Cliff Seque said yesterday empty buildings could be a result of a lack of tenants wanting to be in an area.
``It's no good being the owner of a commercial building with no tenants because you've got no income.''
Tenants wanted to see what they were going to get, and to be in an area that was ``trendy''.
Council upgrades of areas helped, as did making it easier for owners to redevelop buildings in an effort to ``give them a second life''.
Council heritage policy planner Dan Windwood said a list of at-risk buildings, part of a council programme to provide help for owners of run-down heritage properties, was expected to be completed late next year.
