The Schuler Division of homebuilder D.R. Horton said it will begin selling the first of nine neighborhoods in its planned 1,150-home Kapolei subdivision Mehana this weekend, including units permitted for combined business and living use.

The company said the Nanala neighborhood of Mehana will have 78 townhomes, 20 live-work units and two commercial spaces.

Prices for residential units range from $374,000 to $438,000. The live-work units are priced at $474,000.

Mehana is one of the first of several new communities planned for development in Hawai'i with units that can be used for living and business, an urban mixed-use concept often referred to as "smart growth."

Mike Jones, president of D.R. Horton's Schuler Division, said the dual-use units will allow residents with businesses to simplify their life and avoid commuting to work.

"The two principal benefits of the live-work units are value and convenience, as residents will own one property that can essentially be used as two," he said.

Permitted commercial uses of the units include home offices and retail.

The first Nanala units are slated to be delivered at the end of next year. Full build-out of all 110 units is expected to take three or four years.

The bigger Mehana community, planned for 135 acres on the makai fringe of Kapolei's unfinished civic center, is expected to be built over the next roughly eight to 13 years.

Reach Andrew Gomes at agomes@honoluluadvertiser.com.