Gravelly Point Park Renamed to Nancy Reagan Memorial Park: Federal Records Must Update

If you’re a regular at Gravelly Point Park near Reagan National Airport in Arlington, Virginia—you know, the spot where you can watch planes land practically right over your head—get ready for a name change. This legislation officially renames that popular spot the Nancy Reagan Memorial Park.

The Name Swap: What’s Changing

This bill is straightforward: it changes the name of the park located along the George Washington Memorial Parkway. That’s it. Section 1 of the bill mandates this name change, turning Gravelly Point Park into the Nancy Reagan Memorial Park. This is purely a commemorative move, honoring the former First Lady.

Paperwork and Practicalities

While the park itself isn't changing—the views, the picnic areas, and the plane-watching opportunities all stay the same—the administrative side of things is getting an overhaul. Section 2 of the bill requires that every single official document, map, regulation, or record belonging to the U.S. government that currently mentions “Gravelly Point Park” must be updated to say “Nancy Reagan Memorial Park.” Think of it like a massive administrative find-and-replace operation across federal agencies.

For the average person, this means new signage will eventually go up, and if you look at a federal map or regulation concerning the area, the name will be different. For the park visitors, especially those who rely on GPS or local directions, there might be a brief period of confusion while maps and digital services catch up. For the government agencies, the change is mostly an administrative cost related to updating those signs and digital records. Since the bill is so clear, there's very little ambiguity about how this change will roll out—it’s a simple, mandated name change across the board.