BB&T Bank has purchased nearly 50 acres along N. Arendell Avenue in Zebulon.

The Winston-Salem-based bank paid $4.8 million for the land, according to Wake County property records.

The seller was Arendell North, an entity whose address is that of Whichard Real Estate, a Raleigh company that owns a number of malls across the U.S.

Whichard's group bought the property in May 2007 for $6.5 million.

It's unclear what BB&T plans to do with the land.

“This was a good opportunity for BB&T and we are evaluating the property for future use,” said David White, a bank spokesman.