Ted Daniels owns the now fully-renovated Standard Building, at 201 Princes St, which was home to the former Canton Cafe until 1994.
It is proposed to build the apartment on top of the nearby four-level Stanton building, also owned by Mr Daniels, as a permanent home for him and his wife, Ita Daniels.
This building is sited directly behind the Standard Building and near the Dunedin City Council car park in Dowling St.
Mr Daniels is a director of Exchange Renaissance Ltd, which has applied for consent to build the single-level apartment, of about 180sq m, on the roof of the Stanton Building.
He has also raised the possibility of a different design, with a slightly lower roof.
The proposed apartment could not be seen from Princes St, but could be seen from part of the Dowling St area and from another car park area near the Queens Gardens and elsewhere in the gardens area.
A three-strong Dunedin City Council hearings committee, chaired by commissioner Jinty MacTavish, has reserved its decision, which she said would be released within the 15 working days statutory time frame.
Cr Mike Lord and and Cr Jim O'Malley were the other committee members.
Council planner Amy Young said in a report the applicant proposed removing an existing sloping roof, and establishing an apartment, with an ''irregular corrugated roof line'' and a mezzanine level incorporating the existing exterior brick walls and roof terrace.
Near the end of yesterday's hearing, which included questions from the committee and further submissions from Mr Daniel, Ms Young maintained her previous support for granting consent, subject to proposed conditions.
Mr Daniels told the committee that ''a lot of work'' had been done ''to make sure it was going to be a roof that would enhance the area''.
The proposed roofline was ''something unique'', and would bring a ''positive benefit'' and an interesting ''new dimension'' to the area, he said.
Octa Group Ltd owns the nearby former National Bank building, at 193 Princes St, and also occupies the building's third floor and an existing level four apartment.
In a submission, Octa director William Cockerill focused on the proposed apartment's ''impact on precinct values''.
The ''folded fan'' roof form did not ''relate to either the Stanton Building or the surrounding buildings'' and was ''detracting from an otherwise coherent pattern''.
This roof form would be ''clearly, visibly different'' particularly from the Queens Gardens, Mr Cockerill wrote.
In written comments supporting the Octa concerns, heritage and architectural historian Michael Findlay said the Stanton Building, built in 1906, was a ''very early reinforced concrete building''.
The relationship between the existing and the proposed structures ''could be reconsidered to generate less of a clash at roof level''.
A ''simplified roofline'' would maintain ''the desired effect within the apartment while alleviating the visual impact for neighbours and users'' of the Queens Gardens, Mr Findlay said.
