Throwing down the gauntlet, Virginia Beach’s mayor has set a Monday deadline to have a lease signed with a professional sports team – widely reported to be the Sacramento Kings – or he’ll pull the plug on the city’s arena efforts for this year.

Mayor Will Sessoms, who has been pushing a plan for a $300 million-plus arena in his city, told The Bee he has informed the city’s private partner, arena operator Comcast-Spectacor, he wants an agreement now.

“We have a timeline that is right upon us to go to the state to ask for a substantial amount of money,” Sessoms said. “We are not going to go up there and make a fool of ourselves. I need to know something by Monday.”

via Tony Bizjak of The Sacramento Bee