With a new park, stadium, and entertainment complex along the Delaware River, Trenton, New Jersey, is but one of a large number of communities that is looking to use its waterfront as a way for it to improve the quality of urban life and attract new businesses.

(A) is looking to use its waterfront as a way for it to improve the quality of urban life and attract
(B) is looking at using its waterfront to improve the quality of urban life and attract
(C) are looking to use their waterfronts to improve the quality of urban life and attract
(D) are looking to use its waterfront as a way of improving the quality of urban life and attracting
(E) are looking at using their waterfronts as a way of improving the quality of urban life and attract

Question

With a new park, stadium, and entertainment complex along the Delaware River, Trenton, New Jersey, is but one of a large number of communities that is looking to use its waterfront as a way for it to improve the quality of urban life and attract new businesses.

Which of the following options is the most correct version of the underlined phrase above?

(A) is looking to use its waterfront as a way for it to improve the quality of urban life and attract

(B) is looking at using its waterfront to improve the quality of urban life and attract

(C) are looking to use their waterfronts to improve the quality of urban life and attract

(D) are looking to use its waterfront as a way of improving the quality of urban life and attracting

(E) are looking at using their waterfronts as a way of improving the quality of urban life and attract

The most correct answer is C is the most correct answer.

Explanation:

In normal terms, a redundant relative pronoun such as ‘which’ or an essential modifier such as ‘that’ will incline to modify the noun that is just before and take an appropriate verb depending upon the number of the noun, mostly plural, except when the subject ‘one’ is preceded by the definite article ‘the’.

In the context, look at the subtle difference between the two types

1. Trenton, New Jersey, is ‘but one of’ a large number of communities ‘that is looking to’ use its waterfront as a way for it to improve the quality of urban life and attract new businesses.

2. Trenton, New Jersey, is but ‘the one of’ a large number of communities ‘that is looking’ to use its waterfront as a way for it to improve the quality of urban life and attract new businesses.

Since the definite article is not present in the first case, the relative pronoun ‘that’ will modify the plural ‘communities’ and take on a plural verb ‘are looking’.    

In the second case, since the definite article ‘the’ is present the focus clearly shifts to the article ‘the’, which restricts the number to singular. Hence, in the second case, the modifier ‘that’ in spite of its relevance will go along taking a singular verb ‘is looking’.

In this topic, the plural verb ‘are looking’ is grammatically fitting.

Given the above explanation the choice falls among C, D and E; in the context.

Its best to go with  C because it correctly uses idiom ‘looking to use’ and while remaining parallel.

E in addition to being unparalleled uses the wrong idiom ‘looking at’ while D has serious singular verb mis-match of using ‘are looking to use its’.

Cheers!