A Calgary alderman says the city should consider selling heritage buildings because there isn't any money to maintain them.

The city owns 59 heritage sites and leases many of them to businesses.

But at least one of the tenants says the city isn't living up to its responsibilities as a landlord.

The co-owner of Rouge restaurant leases the historic Cross House and says the city should be paying for its upkeep.

The building is in need of a paint job and Olivier Reynaud doesn't understand why the city doesn't want to do the work.

Ward 9 alderman Joe Ceci says if the city isn't maintaining some of its heritage buildings, they could be sold.

"Unless the city wants to put some money there through a budget process, we need some money to do this and one way to garner some money is potentially the sale of some properties."

Ward 1 alderman Dale Hodges says he thinks Ceci is being used by city bureaucrats who want to rid the city of its heritage responsibilities.

Council voted Monday to have administrators look into the city's options on how to deal with its heritage buildings.

A report is expected to be completed in the summer.