Its wide, its fast, and has VC. I'm not sure how useful the VC is at this focal length, but depending on the price, it would certainly be an interesting competitor to both the 14-24 and the 16-35. The initial specs say its quite heavy though at 1.1kg (~2.4 lbs).
Yea, VC is always useful, just not as obviously useful as in long lenses where a little shake is painfully obvious. Personally I dont find myself shooting under 1/30 too often, hence VC isnt incredibly useful.
Looks like a great lens. 15mm is odd (I'd much prefer 14mm), but the build quality seems superb and VC is a fantastic touch. Could be a neat walk-around lens.