The state’s 2023-24 budget allocated $1 million for the construction of the College of Marin marine lab in Bolinas. The college had been vying for funds from the state budget since 2021, when it requested $2.6 million. Aidan Lynch, a spokesman for Assemblyman Damon Connolly, said it was one of several projects the assemblyman advocated for during the budget process. The grant will help outfit the specialized lab, said Keith Rosenthal, the college’s director of advancement, who is still fundraising to meet the rising costs of construction. “This is a specialized building and not a typical classroom,” he said. “It is going to need lab desks and specialized microscopes.” The college is hoping to open the lab for the spring semester of 2025.