PITTSBURGH -- It was 40 years ago today that the "Mister Rogers' Neighborhood" television show premiered.

Pittsburgh will mark that milestone with a year-long celebration of Fred Rogers, the late broadcasting legend and native of Latrobe, Pa.

Starting in the spring, special episodes of the show will be rebroadcast on WQED.

Then, in the summer, the "Mr. Rogers" set will be reassembled and the public will be able to tour it, WQED said.

And in the fall, a Fred Rogers Sweater Drive will be held for needy families.

Those who knew and loved Rogers said the man changed lives and they want to make sure he will never be forgotten.

"That's what Fred Rogers has done for 40 years," said WQED CEO George Miles. "He was on the air here at WQED. He's changed many, many lives."

Also in Pittsburgh, a Rogers monument has been approved by the Sports and Exhibition Authority.

The $3 million project will break ground at the old Manchester Bridge Pier on the city's North Shore on March 20, which would have been Rogers' 80th birthday.

Meanwhile, in Latrobe, construction of the Fred Rogers Center for Early Learning and Children's Media continues at Saint Vincent College.

Once construction is complete, there will be digital archives of all of Rogers' shows and his own oral history, so that education students can learn from his years of experience.

"I think we'll be moving in within a month, and there will be plans announced by the college for the grand opening in the months to come," said Family Communications CEO Bill Isler. "It will be a big year for Pittsburgh's most popular neighbor."

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